Secret Santa
by TheLastPilot
Summary: Adrien and Marinette draw each others names in their classes secret santa and do their best to get the perfect gift.
1. Chapter 1

"Alright everyone, settle down!"

The chatter in the Parisian classroom gradually died down, students settling into their desks and looking forward at the teacher at the head of the room. She had a wide happy smile on her face, and her tasteful festive sweater twinkled charmingly with built in lights. There were a few teachers on the staff who adored the holidays, and Marinette's first teacher of the day was no exception. With Christmas break now a week away every lab or activity the class participated in was inexplicably holiday oriented, but it made Marinette smile. Seeing people passionately enjoying anything was always a treat.

The teacher gleefully swept up a Santa hat from her desk, wanting to start her class off with one of her favorite Christmas traditions.

"As you all know, today we will be drawing names for the class secret Santa! All of you have turned in your lists as asked yes?"

After a scattered confirmation from her students she smiled again and started to stir about the pile of papers in the hat, making her way to the first line of student's, holding it out for a boy named Nino to pick from first. As he reached in she addressed the class again.

"Remember, it's a _secret_ Santa, it's no fun if everyone knows who you've gotten. Please get your presents with the spirit of the game in mind. We will trade gifts on Friday just before class ends, so make sure you have it prepared before then! Keep allergies in mind and…"

Basically everyone started to tune the teacher out as she went through the more boring aspects of the game, each student wondering who they would get and what they would get for them. A few of the students were less enthusiastic about having to get something for someone they might not be close to, but the idea of receiving a gift made everyone happy.

Marinette watched eagerly as the boy who sat in front of her selected a list, trying to peer over his shoulder to see who he had gotten. She internalized a dreamy sigh, starting to dream about how amazing it would be if Adrien had gotten her. Whatever she got she would treasure it for all her life, she was sure of it. Anything from Adrien would be the greatest gift she had ever been given. Just imagining her crush having her in mind, thinking her name while he roamed a shop looking for something for her, she swallowed an infatuated giggle.

As anticipated when the hat got to the brat of the class, an insufferable blonde named Chloe, she immediately publicly denounced who she had gotten and complained, requesting for a redraw. Marinette frowned, sighing as she looked back at the shy Nathaniel who had the bad luck of having Chloe in charge of his gift. She made a mental note to get him a gift herself, since the chances of Chloe actually getting him something was next to none.

Marinette sighed happily, laying her head down in her arms. She loved the atmosphere that surrounded everything at this time of year. The snow outside, the gently flickering lights that decorated every store, the warm drinks and good smells in every home. She smelt like sugar cookies almost every day when the holidays rolled around, and she wasn't complaining (nor was Tikki). Today was an exception though, today was a snickerdoodle day, her parents having made a load for the morning bake. The smell stuck around mostly because Tikki had a generous stash with her in her purse, and thinking about how delighted the kwami had been at the surprise made her smile again. Christmas was very inspiring time for her, catering to all of her quiet pleasures like glowing fireplaces and apple cider. She always had a new line of winter clothes sketched out before break even arrived.

Her thoughts of Christmas time were interrupted as the hat made it to her, and she reached in to grasp at a random piece of paper. She waited until her admittedly nosey best friend was occupied besides her with picking her own list, in case it was her she had gotten, but couldn't hide the quiet gasp when she unfolded her paper.

 _Adrien_.

Her heart sped with sudden excitement, gripping the paper tight to her chest, praising her astounding good luck for the thousandth time since she had gotten it.

Alya looked over, guessing who the designer had been assigned to without even having to look. There was only one person around who could make her bounce with excitement in her seat just by writing their name on a piece of paper. She laughed quietly, giving her a happy thumbs up but leaving her be, knowing that she was probably desperately planning her gift already. Man that girl had it bad, but it was a lot of fun to watch. Plus, who knows? Maybe the perfect gift could be exactly what Adrien needed to finally notice her friend's feelings.

Adrien himself was reading through the list he had received, analyzing the short summary of Marinette's likes and interests and trying to come up with a nice present. He was glad he had gotten someone he was friends with rather than just a classroom acquaintance, and started to memorize the short list in an effort to maybe one day get closer to the kind girl. She as incredibly shy and they never managed to talk much despite his desire to do so, but he still liked to consider her a friend.

 _Likes_

\- _Fashion_

\- _Drawing_

\- _Art_

\- _Sweets_

\- _Cute things!_

He smiled at the list, glad to note that he already knew those things. Still though, what should he get her? She really did like fashion, and he had spotted her designing cool winter clothes (a few of which he genuinely wished were physical because he would absolutely wear them), so maybe she might like some bit of clothing? He didn't know her size obviously, or her taste really, but maybe something simple from a line of his fathers. Maybe it would make her happy to get something early from his father's winter line. He considered it, jotting the idea down so he wouldn't forget. He penned it right next to another list of ideas for a certain spotted heroine, frowning again when he saw all of his crossed out handwriting. He repressed a sigh, closing his notebook and staring out the window as he tried once again to figure out what to get for his lady. He was getting her a gift there was no question about that, but he didn't know much about her personal life so he didn't know what sorts of things she liked.

Would she hit him if he bought her a Cat Noir sweater? The image made him chuckle.

Everyone seemed amped after getting their picks, having a secret to hide exciting for most. Adrien didn't really get that feeling, having secrets was pretty normal for him and the secrets he did have were much bigger than whose name he got from a Santa hat. He often liked to think about how his classmates might react if they all learned that he was in fact one of Paris' heroes, Cat Noir.

Nino would probably be angry honestly, but eventually think it was awesome. Alya would be devastated that she hadn't figured it out (though she did occasionally get uncomfortably close) and Chloe would probably… eh he didn't think on that one much.

He hid a smile as he considered Marinette's reaction. She would probably be really excited, she was a fan wasn't she? Maybe he should get _her_ a Cat Noir themed gift.

Was buying gifts themed after himself conceited? Uh… maybe a bit. He would probably stick to his first idea.

"Don't forget! These are due Friday! Now, let's get class started."

There was a collective groan which the teacher accepted with a chuckle, nodding her head in agreement but going about her job regardless. Still though, she put on quiet Christmas music in the background to keep the smiles on their faces as they started the lesson for the day.

There was a generally happy feeling on the campus that day, especially for a Monday morning, but an upcoming break usually had that effect on kids. Adrien himself had mixed feelings about the time off, knowing that left more time for Cat Noir to peruse the city but also meaning that his friend's would be out of town for the most part. Nino left Friday night to visit family, Alya going on a Christmas vacation and most others doing something similar. He tried to focus on his freedom to be Cat though, smiling at the idea of running around in the snow even if he did end up freezing his tail off. Hopefully Ladybug would be around, Christmas really got some people down for one reason or another and he was expecting a few akumas to crop up. Mostly he just wanted to spend time with her though. She would undoubtedly have more time to patrol for the same reason as him and he liked to imagine that she might accept his coat and curl up against him for warmth on a rooftop somewhere in Paris.

Wistful thinking, but it made him smile.

He went through the rest of the school day without much to report, having fun with the Christmas merriment around him even if he had never really celebrated it much himself. He liked how happy it made people, even if you didn't celebrate it or care for it much just being surrounded by ecstatic people could really make your day better.

After the final bell rang he looked up as Marinette rushed past him, shouting goodbye to Alya and running off through the snow to head home, and as he watched her shiver from the sudden chill and pull her scarf around her his resolve to get her something warm grew. He idly wondered why she was in such a hurry, but the thought didn't stick for long as he headed towards his waiting driver for a photoshoot he had been dreading. He sighed, opening the door and saying his last goodbye to Nino who gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

"Have fun dude."

"Yeah. Thanks man, see you later."

Adrien got in the car, enjoying the quiet Christmas carols playing through the speakers. His driver might be pretty scary but he was actually a huge softy for the holiday. He had a little Santa pin on his jacket and everything. He reached into his own jacket to warm Plagg up a little with his hands, feeling the tiny cat like creature shiver against him, wondering what to get the kwami for Christmas. Cheese probably, but maybe… festive cheese? He had no idea.

.

Elsewhere in the city Marinette was running through the snow, slipping once or twice but never quite falling. The cold air stung her lungs a bit as she ran but she couldn't care less, _nothing_ could spoil her mood. She was going to get Adrien the absolutely perfect gift, and she was going to make it herself to boot. She didn't want to make another scarf, even though he wouldn't actually know it was a repeat idea, so she was thinking something a bit bigger and more complicated. She had recently fallen in love with a new jacket design of hers, and she was positive he would like it. Not to mention she knew he would look _fantastic_ in it, it would complement him perfectly! She would never admit it but she had actually designed it with him in mind originally… and had planned on maybe making it as a present but now she had the perfect excuse without looking awkward! She was over the moon, planning every detail. She would present it in a box, carefully folded to give a clear view of the jacket's biggest features and tucked in with tissue paper (light blue to contrast the dark black the jacket would be). On top of the tissue paper just beneath the lid would be a card, simple and sweet, saying "Merry Christmas Adrien! – Marinette", maybe even "Love, Marinette" if she could work up the courage. The box would be cute and festive and given alongside a small bag filled with caramels and chocolates, his favorite sweets, and some candy canes. It would be absolutely perfect, and put together and the secret Santa exchange would force her to go through with it. She would never ever stiff Adrien out of a present just before break because she was a coward, and even if she stalled till the last second she would still have to give it to him herself.

The thought of having no way out frightened her, but she knew she needed it and it would ensure that she made it as good as possible. She would have done that regardless but now she knew she had to!

A laugh escaped her as she made a detour to a fabric shop, getting everything she would need to get the project started. She agonized over the proper buttons and zippers, special ordering them to come in the next day instead of settling, and ran off again for home. Her homework was light, and as soon as it was done she would begin. She only had a week, and it had to be _perfect_. She needed all the time she could get.

.

The days passed with a merry air cloaking Paris, school progressing with some hefty tests but little homework in preparation for the break. People laughed and waved to each other in the streets, the cold biting but not agonizing. The students had snowball fights and gossiped through class about who was going where, and when school would finally end even Adrien's typical busy schedule had a fairly consistent warmth to it. It was little things, like hot chocolate on set of photoshoots or bright shining lights hanging from buildings on the drive home, but still enough to keep his mood relatively positive. He was letting himself enjoy it.

It was after school on Wednesday that he buckled down and committed to finding his presents for everyone, having been stalled the past two days thanks to all the things he was obligated to do. Wednesday had the first big gap that he could use for shopping, and with a pocketful of cash and a thick coat he started to wander the city.

He had been carted around in a car for too long and wanted space to be alone and walk, his schedule cutting into his hero time as well and effectively cooping him up. As long as there wasn't actively somewhere he needed to be his father didn't keep too close of tabs on him, and in the driver's good mood it didn't take a lot to convince him to let him go off on his own. A lot of the adults working under his father sympathized with the boy and were willing to look the other way sometimes.

Nino was easy. He stopped in an electronic shop and bought him new headphones, the best pair available. It wasn't cheap but that didn't matter much to him, he was allowed a budget for Christmas shopping and he had no problem spoiling his friend's when he had the option. Nino would probably protest, but he wanted to get him something nice.

He found a nice phone cover for Alya, grinning stupidly at the Ladybug pattern it had and knew she would like it. He resisted getting one for himself, trying at least a little to keep his obsession to himself.

For Marinette he took a little longer, finding a particularly massive upper end department store and wandering inside. He had wanted to snag something not yet available to the public, but he had gotten caught trying to sneak something from the photoshoot and scolded pretty harshly, so he had to settle for something else. He wanted something warm and practical, doing his best to imagine her in different things but nothing seemed to match.

It was when he got to the hats that inspiration struck, and he started looking through the stylish loose knitted beanies. She would look great in a beanie! As he sorted through the colors he found a deep scarlet cap that he figured would look perfect for her. It would sit on her dark hair and play off of her eyes, and her light skin as well.

He stopped, blushing a little and deciding to perhaps get off that train of thought before it went much further. She really would look nice in it, his imagination convincing him of that and also embarrassing him slightly, why exactly he wasn't sure.

He shook it off, snatching it up as well as a matching knitted dark red scarf and heading triumphantly for the counter. It would do nicely, and he had the idea of ordering confectionary chocolates to be picked up the day of as well since she enjoyed sweet things.

He was over all pleased with his finds thus far, but sighed as he thought of the other person he needed to get a gift for. If only shopping for Ladybug was as easy as shopping for his other friends.

"Today's the day Marinette!" Tikki cheered, flying in a quick excited circle over her charge's workspace. On the desk was a currently empty powder blue box with white snowflakes printed across it. Matching light blue almost white tissue paper lie in wait besides it as well as a shimmery dark blue bow to be tied on top. Marinette herself was sitting in her chair, pulling her hair out over the simple card to be placed inside.

"Make sure you sign it this time," Tikki said with a giggle, earning a glare from the designer.

"Okay… I hope you have a Merry Christmas. From, Marinette. Is that good? I figured love was too strong…"

"You'd be right about that, I think it sounds good! Pack the jacket, we should get going."

Marinette took a deep breath to steady herself and got to her feet, turning towards a mannequin currently sporting her present for Adrien.

It was a long style, black, double breasted trench coat made to keep him warm while also looking incredibly stylish in her opinion. Her special ordered buttons had been perfect, casted with black metal that shined silver in the light but faded seamlessly with dim lighting. She had poured over the details, working diligently at the unique cut and look of it, making sure it was perfect.

Normally her anxiety over impressing Adrien would push her to find some flaw with her work, but she took her passion seriously and was delighted to find it was everything her vision had intended it to be.

She gathered it up, the material weighty in her hands, and delicately folded it to fit in her specially prepared box. It molded to the container and she wrapped the paper around, tucking in the card and putting the lid in place.

Getting the bow just right took a few cracks, but eventually she was forced to take another deep breath and prepare to leave, doing her best not to psych herself out.

With her bag of treats and her present in hand she strode confidently out the door, as ready as she would ever be to give Adrien her gift. Having to turn back to actually bring her backpack as well sort of threw off her momentum, but she made it to school just as the bell rang, her hands trembling but not from the cold.

.

She couldn't even look at him when she walked in, already incredibly nervous, but she swallowed back the lump in her throat and took her seat behind him. She had to be brave, she was proud of her gift she didn't want to spoil it by looking like an idiot while trying to give it to him.

Each student had something on their desk, even Chloe though hers was a just an envelope and probably only a giftcard. Marinette had packed extra candy canes and a fresh sketchpad for Nathanel in her backpack though, so she knew he at least had that. Alya and Nino were talking happily over the space between their seats, trying to guess who the other had gotten based on the boxes they had when the teacher arrived, looking even more festive than she had the rest of the week in a bright green Christmas tree sweater.

"Good Morning class! It's the last day before break and the day of our secret Santa! I can see you all got your gifts, and I know you are all excited so we can start the trade now, I didn't really plan on teaching today anyways." The class laughed at the lighthearted statement and the teacher continued, saying, "I will call a student's name and they will say who their present is for. They will then go over and hand them their present and whoever receives it will then say who their gift is for and give it to them until we get to everyone in the room okay? Let's get started."

The chain started with Max, who got Chloe, who got Nathanel, who got Ivan, who go Alix, who got Alya, who got Kim, who got Nino, who got Sabrina who got Mylene, who got Rose, who got Juleka, who got Max. Eventually everyone had traded gifts except for…

"Oh! It looks like Adrien and Marinette must have gotten each other, alright you two exchange gifts and then we can open them."

Marinette froze up, staring wide eyed at the stunningly handsome boy who flipped around happily in his seat to smile at her.

"We got each other nice! Well uh here you go," he said cheerily, holding out a simple Christmas themed gift bag with tissue paper sticking out.

 _Adrien had gotten her a present._

She hesitated a moment too long, stuttering out a nervous, "T-thank you!" as she grabbed it from him, flushing as he chuckled at her shyness. After another beat too long she suddenly remembered her own gift, her face a dark red as she held it out to him, managing to smile.

Adrien returned the smile, trying to ease her nerves and took the box happily, commenting aloud at how nice it was. He already had a pretty sure feeling that her gift was going to trump his in a big way, her box alone was impressive looking and it felt sort of heavy. Suddenly it was him who was a little nervous. He really hoped he didn't look like a jerk, but he honestly did think it would look good on her.

"Alright everyone, go ahead and open your gifts, remember to thank your Santa!"

The teacher started to play cheerful Christmas music as the excited clamor of her students flooded the room. Marinette was totally frozen, only managing to jerk into motion when Alya prodded her with a laugh. Knowing what Adrien had gotten her was the only thing keeping her from actively watching him open her gift, she was still observing the scene from the corner of her eye though.

Adrien was being gentle with removing the bow, wanting to keep it intact as much as possible, so Marinette beat him to the punch and he laughed in relief when he heard her gasp in delight.

"Adrien!" she said his name in a high pitched squeal, pulling out the cap and scarf that was only just redder than her face. She held the soft expensive knitted material in her hands, and he loved the way her eyes shone with happiness. She put them on immediately, snuggling into the scarf and giggling in a way that was absolutely adorable, he had to admit. He was also pleased to see that he had been right about it looking good on her, a few of their classmates already complimenting her on it.

"You look nice in it," he said happily, relieved his gift had been received well, "I thought you would. I'm glad you like it!" He wondered a little too late if he should have kept his thought to himself, but she seemed so stunned and overjoyed that he soon changed his mind. Seeing her so happy was worth any amount of teasing from Nino.

Marinette pulled out the chocolates and bit in to one, needing the comfort food for her fried brain, and wasn't surprised to find how rich it was. He really went the extra mile, and she was very nearly hyperventilating because of it.

Her thoughts were interrupted though by a very loud and very sudden, "WOAH, WHAT!?"

She jumped at the shout, and looked up from her chocolate to see Adrien standing by his desk, holding up her jacket with a look of disbelief and amazement.

"WOAH THAT JACKET IS SICK!" Nino jumped up, momentarily forgetting his own gift and running to Adrien who was laying the jacket across his desk so he could examine it more closely.

A lot of the other students were starting to gather around as well and Marinette had no idea what to do, especially when Adrien turned to her in wonderment and said, "M-Marinette did you _make_ this!?"

She hid in her new scarf when her voice failed her but she still had the ability to nod, and Adrien looked back down at the jacket like it was made of gold.

"This- this is _unbelievable_ Marinette this is AMAZING!" he exclaimed, throwing off his own jacket in favor of his new one.

"You look awesome in that Adrien!" Alya complimented, nudging her friend excitedly as her creation was so well received by her crush. He did a turn to show Marinette and he really really did look great. It fit him perfectly, as was her intention, and looked incredibly dashing whether open or buttoned. What was the most dashing though was his ecstatic expression, looking as if he would burst from joy.

"I don't even know what to say, thank you SO much this is unbelievable! I- just _thank you_!"

Marinette was so proud and excited to have earned his praise that she spoke up, stammering out, "I-it's no problem! I'm really glad you like it… M-merry Christmas Adrien."

He grinned and laughed in his happiness, cheering, "Merry Christmas Marinette!"

Adrien turned to show Nino the inner pockets and the material, bouncing in place a little in excitement. Alya gripped Marinette firmly by the shoulder and silently freaked out with her while the boys were distracted, the designer looking like she was going to faint from joy but didn't have the time to because Adrien was suddenly at her desk again, firing off dozens of questions that she happily answered even when she was a stuttering mess.

"All I got you was a dumb scarf and hat I'm so sorry… this is so awesome I can get you something else t-"

"No!" Marinette cut him off, shocking him with the intense way she denied him. She gripped her scarf in her hands almost protectively, saying, "I love them! They are amazing don't get me anything else, I really like these! This is more than enough!"

"Are you sure?" he questioned, looking down at his warm, comfortable, cool new jacket and really feeling like he owed her something more. Plus he had a whole bag of caramels and candy canes and such from her as well, he absolutely needed to get her something else.

"I'm sure, I love your present Adrien, honestly, thank you."

He met her eyes and realized that her defending his gift to her was some of the first sentences she had ever said to him without a single hesitation or stutter. He had heard her confidence before, when she stood up to Chloe or joked with Alya, but she was rarely ever at ease around him. Something about him made her shy and it had always made him sad, but she had spoken with confidence, trying to reassure him and it was awesome. Confidence looked good on her too.

"Okay," he conceded, a small smile on his face as he saw her wearing something he had gotten for her. There was still a nagging desire to do something though, but he realized he didn't have much time if she was leaving like the others.

"Are you going out of town for Christmas break?" he asked her abruptly, his head tilting a little with the question.

Marinette started a little in surprise, but shook her head no.

"So you're gonna be in town?"

A small nod, her big blue eyes innocent looking and wide. He smiled.

"Me too. Maybe we can hang out then? We can do something, my treat, then we'd be even."

Marinette squeaked in shock and he had to repress a chuckle, not wanting to embarrass her. He was actually very proud of her for being as brave as she was, he knew he somehow intimidated her.

"Y-you don't owe me anything, b-but I- I'd love to." He had to smile at that, how even when she was saying yes she still had to reassure him. She was very conscious of how the people around her were feeling, it was cool to see.

He laughed happily, turning momentarily to grab his bag of treats but turning back around to continue facing her desk. He settled in to form a circle with Marinette, Alya and Nino, wanting to spend the rest of class interacting with them. He wrapped his jacket tighter around him and continued to boast about how well made and great it was, loving how happy it made his friend. He wasn't just trying to boost her ego though he genuinely loved the jacket, it was incredible. Not only that, but the coat was so intricate and unique, he knew she must have been working on it tirelessly all week. He shot a look at her hands while Nino and Alya led the conversation, and he could see all the needle pricks and sewing wounds dotting her fingers. She put so much effort into making it for him, designing something just for him for his secret Santa. He wasn't just blown away, he was touched.

She didn't need to do that, she could have just gotten him a giftcard and called it a day, but she didn't. She went out of her way to make something incredible for him, with tiny details like using one of his favorite colors for the box and bow and the caramels gifted alongside it to make it special.

Marinette was so sweet and thoughtful, he wasn't at all surprised to see that she had gotten a backup gift for Nathaniel since he got stuck with Chloe, the action fit her personality perfectly. The red headed boy had been so flustered at the gift it made everyone smile, glad to see his day had been saved by Marinette's kindness. While she was away from the circle though, having gotten up to give the secondary gift, Nino spoke quietly to Adrien.

"I can't believe how great your jacket is dude, and she made it herself how cool is that? Mari can be pretty awesome."

Adrien smiled, looking down at the coat for the hundredth time and nodded in agreement. "Yeah she's amazing, I've never gotten anything this cool before."

Alya grinned, overjoyed by how much attention Marinette was getting from the boy of her dreams, she had even managed to say yes to his offer to hang out! Adrien was finally noticing her, and throughout the rest of the school day, he never stopped noticing her. Alya would spot him, at one point or another in every class they had staring at her and the way she looked in his presents, and once she could have even sworn he was smiling to himself. He spoke to her several times throughout the day, making plans with her to see her again, trading phone numbers and laughing at her nervous jokes.

Adrien found himself incredibly proud of the girl, and happy whenever he saw her. She would stutter and stumble over her words, but she was getting better the more they spoke and he couldn't be more pleased. He wanted to make her feel at ease with him, to prove himself worthy in a way of the present she had given him. He would be a good friend to his princess, make her smile whenever he could.

One of the times they spoke again, running into each other on the way to their last class, he was ecstatic to see more pieces of her personality emerge from behind her shyness. She had even teased him for making a lame joke and rolled her eyes, the wit and humor surprising and delighting him. She was still incredibly easy to fluster though, something that admittedly gave him a confidence boost. Just before his driver arrived at the end of school he had seen her slip on a patch of ice and had soared across the short distance to catch her before she fell, grinning cattishly at how red she gotten because of it.

"Careful now, it's pretty slippery out here." He resisted the urge to call her princess, helping steady her once again as she sputtered something unintelligible.

"It's a bit cold for you to walk home, are you sure you'll be alright? Do you want a ride?" he found himself asking, the concern genuine as his driver pulled up.

She was still choking on her words, but buried herself in the soft fabric of her new scarf and shook her head, her smile still showing in her eyes.

"I-I'm p-plenty warm now with these thanks. I-I'll be okay."

He smiled, reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder in a friendly gesture before saying, "Well okay then. I'll see you soon okay? Merry Christmas!"

She was slow to respond, but just as he was getting into his car he heard her squeak, "Merry Christmas!" and it made him laugh happily.

His driver smiled at how the young master laughed, reading in to the happy grin on his face and the red cheeked girl waving at the car and enjoying what he saw. He deserved someone nice like that, maybe then he wouldn't be so lonely through Christmas.

.

As the car drove for home and the partition was raised, Plagg shot out from the bag resting on the floor and gave a whistle as he examined the coat himself. He had been waiting all day to get a proper tour of his new sleeping space, whizzing around his boy to pick the coziest pocket while Adrien snuggled deeper into the warm material with a smile on his face.

'Thanks Princess,' he thought to himself, holding open one side of the jacket for Plagg to fly inside.

'I love it.'


	2. Chapter 2

'A- Hey Marinette, there is a Christmas themed festival type thing happening in the park today. Would you like to go?'

Adrien sent the text with a smile, knowing that he had plans to see her that day but pleased to have actually thought up something to do. Their agenda had just consisted of "I'm free Monday are you?" before so now he waited eagerly in his room for her reply, happy to have someone to hang out with. He had felt the gap already, Nino barely able to even text since he had left Friday night and Ladybug calling their patrols off thanks to the cold weather. He didn't know Marinette very well but he would like too, and he already owed her lunch so wandering some stalls as well sounded pretty fun, even if he wasn't very good at social situations.

Adrien looked down at his phone when it went off, Marinette's contact blank for now and the message reading a simple 'M-I'd love to!'

'A- Have you eaten already?'

'M- No not yet, I can before we go though.'

'A- No no, I'll get you something. Would you like me to head over now?'

There was a lag in reply so he started to get ready on the assumption that she would say yes, piling on the layers and topping it off with his new, amazing coat. He looked around for a second before finding a warm spare mitten that Plagg used like a sleeping bag and putting it into the pocket Plagg had claimed for his hiding spot a few days earlier.

"Why do I have to go on your date?" Plagg whined, currently hiding by Adrien's desk with a pout on his face, tempted to come closer by the warmth of the jacket but trying to be stubborn a while longer.

Adrien sighed, not thinking much of the accusation. "It's not a date Plagg, and you can't just stay home, what if an Akuma attacks?"

"Just let it freeze its butt off in the street! Why do I have to be cold too?"

"You'll be fine in my jacket, I'm the one who will be cold," Adrien chuckled, looking at his phone again when a message came in.

'M- Okay! That Park is actually right next to my house, I can meet you there if you want.'

He smiled at that, replying with 'A- Okay I'll start heading that way and tell you when I'm close' before striding forward and snatching Plagg out of the air gently.

He stuffed the grumpy kwami into the mitten and shook at his head at how suddenly Plagg's mind changed about the whole thing, snuggling into the fine woven glove and settling in for a nap. Adrien checked himself over once more for his wallet and cards before exiting his room and walking down the long hallways towards the door. The good thing about the first few days of vacation was that he didn't have anything scheduled over the times he would typically be at school, so he actually had free time. He grinned at nothing as he went out the front door into the bright late morning sun, feeling a little chuffed with himself for actually making and going through with plans with someone new. He was branching out! Wasn't so bad at making friends now was he?

He couldn't help it, his mood steadily soared the longer he was outside, the bright pure sunlight reflecting off of the snow piled on either side of the sidewalk he strutted down and making everything so… well, bright. There was a light covering of snow on everything; the street lamps, the rain gutters, store signs. Basically everything that didn't move, and even a few things that did. He noted with light humor the snow on an old man's hat who stubbornly sat outside his store like he did every day from open to close. Adrien shot a glance at the humongous puffy clouds in the sky, brilliant and white, and knew it wouldn't be too long before snow started to fall again and he honestly couldn't wait. He loved winter, it was so crisp and clear even if it was cold. With his new jacket he wasn't going to be feeling the chill anytime soon, it was much too well made for that, and thinking about it made his mood warm even more. It didn't matter how awkward he could be, wasn't Marinette a little awkward as well? Endearingly so he had to admit. He was positive this was going to be fun, he was going to pay her back for her thoughtful gift in full if he could manage.

He was walking there mostly for the freedom of it, sauntering down the road and enjoying the weather without a car to coop him up. It would take him a little longer but she didn't live _too_ far from him, and he liked it so what was a little snow?

A short ways out in front of him four young kids dominated the sidewalk in a snowball fight, a chubby stout one probably no older than eight instituting the street rule of 'Person!' (a common variation of the street hockey rule of 'Car!') to halt the onslaught if only for a moment. Adrien passed between the two warring sides with a happy grin, all four of the children ready with their ammo and their eyes trained on the prize. As soon as he had cleared them they were at it again, shouting and laughing as they soaked their jackets with slush. It made him laugh, the grin sticking to his face for a while more. Yet another good reason to protect the city, how nice was it to see moments like that?

He never had those sorts of things growing up, he had been a lonely child in a big house by himself much the same as he was now, but that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate it in the lives of others. If he couldn't have that sort of fun growing up then he would certainly keep fighting bad guys to ensure that those young kids could. When he was almost a block away he heard the chubby lad shout "I'm Cat Noir so you better watch out!" and he absolutely burst with glee, drawing a few looks from passersby as he laughed heartily to himself.

It was going to be a good day, he decided. Maybe he would jinx himself but his luck couldn't be _that_ bad could it?

He fought the urge to double back for another block before caving, ducking into an alleyway quickly and waking Plagg. He couldn't resist, it was too fun.

After delaying himself by ten minutes by making the absolute _day_ of four little kids and joining in the snowball fight as Cat Noir he rushed to make up for lost time, sliding over a few particularly slippery roofs as his superhero self to cut the distance in half and seamlessly canceling his transformation just before the park came into sight.

'A- just got to the park, I'll wait by the gate! Sorry it took so long I walked.'

He sent the text and slipped his black glove back on, rubbing his hands together to cancel out the chill from the snowballs he had packed a few minutes before. He didn't actually hit any of them, that would have been mean, but it made them feel like superheroes to dodge his 'attacks'.

He never did get a response, but he looked up when he saw someone approaching him a few minutes later, walking out of a bakery that really was right next to the park.

"H-hey!" Marinette called out, hurrying towards him with an excited but self-conscious smile. She was wearing a white padded winter coat and red thermal leggings to match her scarf and beanie, and he smiled at the sight of his gifts. She stopped a short distance away from him but in his good mood he didn't like to see her hesitate, so he closed the gap and gave her a quick friendly hug.

"Hey Marinette!" he responded with a happy laugh, grinning at her as he pulled away to see her flushed face hiding in her scarf.

"Sorry I took so long," he apologized, looking over his shoulder at the way he came to allow her a moment to collect herself.

"You walked all the way here a-are you cold? We could get some hot chocolate from my house- if you wanted we could just uh-" she was stuttering but he found it funny, keeping his smile effortlessly before gesturing to the park.

"They have a few vendors here! I'm sure I can find something warm, not that I need it much. My jacket kept me plenty warm on the walk here."

He loved how you could see her swell from the compliment, her hands clasped together with soft white mittens as she said, "Oh y-yay! Good!"

They stood there for another moment before he took a few steps towards the park, encouraging the shy girl to follow so they could walk in together. She was quick to follow him, hurrying to his side to pass under the heavily decorated gate with him. He turned his attention to the market for the first time, taking in all the festive cheer.

The gate surrounding the park was woven with lights so thickly that Adrien knew it must be quite the sight to see come night time. There were little red bows tied at the middle of every street light and garlands hanging from every tree, lights hung on anything close enough to an extension cord and ornaments on every plant in the park. There were Christmas trees brought in and decorated by the citizens running the market, placing the trees at the end of each row of tents, vendors and stalls. The canopies themselves were bright festive colors, some even patterned with angels or snowflakes. Under some were food vendors with every kind of cake and cookie you could think of, every kind of warm spiced drink there was. Each tent was clogged with different festive wares and gifts to be purchased for loved ones, and the entire area was flooded with warm cheerful music played by a live band near the carousel and thronged with people browsing the stalls. There were games and things for children, but honestly the only thing that Adrien could focus on was the hilarity that was the two Santa hats stuck squarely on the heads of his and Ladybug's statue.

To his great surprise Marinette was laughing nearly as hard as he was, coming to a halt in front of the statue and almost doubled over. It looked so funny, two Santa hat's on the heroes of Paris, and garlands wrapped around their necks.

"I can't believe they decorated the statue, that's hilarious," Adrien finally managed, looking over at Marinette and getting a little stunned in the process.

She was laughing, her freckles standing out against her pale skin and the humor of the statue shining in her bright blue eyes. With the snow and the stalls and the music, it became one atmospheric image of joy that surprised him, like a hallmark card or something. She really was a pretty girl, and when she wasn't beside herself with nerves her laugh was almost magnetic, pulling him in and making him laugh along with her, not even at the statue now.

"Oh man, Cat Noir would get a kick out of that I bet," she laughed, so distracted that she forgot to stutter. He smiled at her comment, while also wondering why he was the one singled out from the super duo. Then again, he thought, Ladybug had a more widely known serious image than he did, it wasn't all that surprising that he was considered the mirthful one from afar.

"Ladybug as well probably, that's just silly," he added, grinning at the thought of her rolling her eyes and shaking her head with a smile on her face.

Marinette rolled her eyes and shook her head at the sight before turning towards him with a smile on her face, making him freeze before she said shyly, "Want to get s-something warm to drink?"

The hesitation and self-conscious undertone to her words pulled him away from the comparison, forgetting the sharp familiarity almost instantly. Ladybug was the definition of confidence, she wouldn't stutter.

"Yeah, would you like something? It's on me." He grinned at how she jumped a little, her cheeks red and eyes wide as she waved her hands in front of her.

"You- you don't have to buy me anything!"

"You're right, I want to though. Pick something or I'll just guess," he laughed, moving out in front of her to head towards the closest vendor to them.

Marinette trailed after him with a frown, not wanting him to spend money on her, but even her playful bad humor faded in his presence, he was practically glowing.

"You seem like you're in a really good mood today," she said simply, her voice still annoyingly quiet and timid, making her feel like a fool. She had to pull it together it was just them! There was no one else to buffer for her, it was just her and Adrien. The thought alone made her knees quake.

His dazzling smile was not helping calm her, but his demeanor was _so_ intoxicating it even helped combat her nerves with prolonged exposure.

"Yeah, I guess I am," he chuckled. "I don't really know why, it just feels like today is going to be really really good. I mean, just with the holidays and stuff everyone is so happy I guess it's easy to be cheerful. On the way here, it was so funny, there were four little kids having a snowball fight. One of them was pretending to be Cat Noir, and then out of nowhere the real Cat Noir showed up and started playing with them! They looked so happy it was awesome, the one pretending to be him looked like he was going to faint."

He watched as Marinette giggled, shaking her head a little. "Well that certainly sounds like him, that's really cute." After a moment though she hummed thoughtfully. "I wonder what he was doing out and about the city in his transformation. Hopefully there's no trouble."

When her attention was diverted and not completely focused on him she spoke more naturally, her nerves eased slightly. His thoughts turned to her bright and bubbly streak he had seen before as Cat Noir. He hated that he made her nervous somehow, thinking he had done something to intimidate her made him even more determined to ensure they had a nice time today.

"I don't think he would have stopped to play with kids if there was any trouble," he contradicted, walking up to the drink vendor and speaking to Marinette over his shoulder, "I'm sure he was just out for a run or something. Drink?"

He noticed that she got the cheapest thing but didn't fuss, just glad to get her something. He settled with a hot chocolate himself, little peppermint bits floating in the thick brown drink.

"Thank you sir!" Adrien offered to the vendor's worker, when he heard a quiet, cute gasp, and announcement of "Oh _lame"_.

He whirled around to see that Marinette had wandered off a little, walking into a particularly massive tent immediately to the vendor's left. She was clutching the drink he had gotten her in her hands, her mittens off for the moment and dangling precariously from her pocket. Her mouth was open in a little 'o' and she was staring at some sort of sweater collection sitting on a table. It looked like- wait what? He moved closer, and after a moment's more observation he burst into laughter.

"Are these _cat pun_ sweaters?" he demanded, jogging to stand next to his friend and pouring over the wide selection. They were all Christmas themed, all cat themed, and all perfect.

"Have a pawsitively purrfect holiday," Marinette read aloud, groaning as she used one hand to sort through a few. "Meow-ry Christmas!? That one is just _terrible!_ "

"Cat puns are an art form, I will have you know," Adrien joked, setting his drink down and pulling one that simply read 'Santa Claws' into his hands.

He snickered when Marinette said, "Oh gosh, you're just as bad as Cat."

"You know him?" he asked, trying to hide his smirk as he looked for more puns.

"N-no well not- not like _well_. I have spoken to him though, and its terrible puns left and right like you wouldn't believe. He would probably love these honestly."

"That's the idea!" a voice suddenly called out, and the two teens turned to see the store's owner sitting buried behind decorative scarves and tablecloths. She was an older woman, and was wearing what could only be described as Cat Noir sweater with twinkling lights built in. Adrien choked on air when he saw it, quickly turning to 'shop' so he wouldn't laugh in her face.

He _needed_ that sweater for Ladybug. She would clobber him but it would be so worth it if he could convince her to wear it even once.

The lady spoke up again, waving her arms and betraying the fact that there were little bells sewn into the cuffs. "I knew there was gonna be Ladybug such and such available at this market so I wanted to make sure Paris' favorite kitten got some Christmas spirit, isn't he the cutest?!"

Marinette couldn't help but gape at the giant picture of Cat Noir the lady pulled out of _nowhere_ cuddling it close with a dreamy expression on her face. Then she couldn't help but start to giggle, clenching her teeth tight and covering her mouth, trying her best to not _roar_ with laughter. Thanks to her distraction she did not see Adrien's reaction when he turned around and saw it.

'Ew ah okay _oh man weird why is she hugging it_ ' Adrien took a closer look around and realized everything in there was either cat themed or _him_ themed, little black cat ear headbands with Christmas lights sewn on and little cat shirts and tablecloths. It was kind of awesome, but also sort of weird. Mostly hilarious actually, but also instilling a little giddy sort of hope in him, because that woman had _definitely_ said there was a Ladybug stall as well.

"This is _so funny"_ he heard Marinette whisper in an almost strained voice, and he saw something like tears of laughter in her eyes as she turned a giant bell over in her hand. After a moment she surprised him and said with a sigh, "How much for a sweater?"

"Twenty five!" the woman exclaimed happily, and Adrien turned to Marinette with an eyebrow raised.

"I thought you said Cat Puns were lame?"

"They are, obviously," she chuckled, picking up one that said 'Have a Clawesome Holiday'. "But I've got a friend I need to get a gift for who would love it. I'll take this as well." She held up a very small golden bell on a black chord, putting it on top of the sweater and taking out her wallet, weirdly careful about how she opened her purse. Something about the purchase made his skin feel hot, and he felt almost… prideful? When Marinette purchased her things that feeling swelled and exploded into an ecstatic grin when he saw her slip the bell around her neck.

"Are you a fan of Cat's?" He had to ask, she bought a _bell_ of his to wear, that was so awesome. To his surprise yet again, she scoffed.

"No no I would not classify myself as a fan," and he didn't like to admit it but he was a little disappointed. Until she added, "However I do agree with the owner. He deserves a bit of Christmas spirit too. I see stuff for Ladybug all the time, but not so much for Cat. I've always thought that was unfair cause I'd never say it to his face but he's pretty amazing too. Maybe Ladybug is a _bit_ better," she said it with a smirk on her lips, a teasing familiarity that nagged at the back of his mind. He knew she didn't mean it bad against him, she was just playing, another thing new to him from Marinette, but familiar from somewhere else. She was speaking in unbroken sentences, it changed her whole voice even her stance was affected. She had weight on one hip, one hand on her coffee, the other gripping the sweater. Her eyes were bright and achingly similar to something else. Her demeanor changed when the topic was Cat Noir, and when he had asked if she knew him it was almost genuinely a question. Did she? More than maybe he realized?

Then, her eyes traveled to his and he saw her heat beneath his gaze, gripping the sweater in a way that betrayed her uncertainty, like she was nervous he would think she was being silly. And he spoke thoughtlessly, the words slipping out.

"You're amazing."

There was a beat of silence where they held each other's eyes, and he thought very simply,

 _Shit._

"T- _that's_ amazing," he tried to correct himself, picking up her stammer in a trade of confidence. "Th- what you're doing wit- I mean I think that's cool. Of you, to do." Another beat of silence. "For Cat Noir."

They were locked in a horrifically awkward staring contest, Adrien turning red from his idiotic outburst, until finally he heard her giggle.

"E-everyone deserves to have a nice Christmas, even a silly cat like him" she put forth bravely, trying to save them both from embarrassment. His flub was still ringing in her ears, dominating her thoughts and making her squeal internally. 'You're amazing.' It collided with the memory of him saying her name in her mind, making an audio clip of 'you're amazing Marinette, you're amazing,' and she couldn't be more happy.

"Y-yeah" he laughed out, turning to exit the tent, forgetting his intent on buying a sweater for Ladybug. He had been so caught up in the thought of Marinette's simple gesture that he had spoken without considering how stupid and out of place it would sound. She was doing it for her and for him, there was literally no guarantee that Cat Noir would ever see that bell and understand the silent praise that came with it, but she had still gotten it. It was like a symbol of "I appreciate you" without saying anything at all and it kind of blew him away. 'I'd never say it to his face' why not? He wanted her to. Say it to him, make his day even if she already had. The stall as a whole was a big flaming torch of 'I appreciate you' and all the empty sold out bits on the shelves kind of stunned him. He had never felt particularly unappreciated before, he agreed whole heartedly with anyone who said Ladybug was better, but seeing blatant support just put a skip in his step. He was glad Marinette was wearing his bell, he was very glad indeed. She looked nice with it, and it made him frown when she tucked it into her shirt. He knew though, that's what counted.

He heard another giggle as they started to walk through the stalls and he looked down at her.

"You seem even happier now than when he went in," she said, her voice still quiet and on edge.

'Don't be nervous it's me, you were so nice with Cat Noir, why is Adrien different? It's just me Princess,' but he couldn't say it, only think it with a twinge of sadness. His frown didn't show, however a cheeky grin did.

"Can you blame me? Those were some grade A puns in there."

Marinette found it easy to have the courage to roll her eyes, because if her beloved Adrien started cracking puns she would probably combust. Whether out of hilarity or horror she wasn't quite sure.

"Plus like I said I've got a good feeling about today," he continued, pausing to let Marinette look through an ornament stall. "I get to be out without anyone telling me I have somewhere to be, I get to hang out with a friend, _and_ I get to see funny cat pun sweaters? What a good day indeed."

He saw her blush a little, beaming up at him with genuine glee that made his breath catch. Her smile was so _warm_ it was only enhancing his infallible mood. It had been some time since he had a streak of good feelings like this. It wasn't like all his days were bad it's just his good days weren't always _this_ good, and it had barely even started.

"I'm really glad we get to hang out today Marinette," he surprised himself with saying, chuckling at how her head sprang up from where it was bent over some snowman ornaments.

"M-me too!" and before she could lose her confidence, before it could fade and also before she could stop it, she said "We should do it more often!"

She wanted to bite her tongue off, was that too forward?! God they had been in the park for like fifteen minutes! But he brightened, bounced his weight happily on his heels and nodded.

"We absolutely should!"

They smiled at each other a moment more before he closed the gap between them and joined her looking through the intricate glass ornaments. "Looking to buy?" he asked conversationally.

She nodded, peering through them and desperately trying to ignore how _close_ he was.

"For my- well my family we have a tradition. Every year my mom and dad buy me an ornament that somehow sums up the past year, things I like and don't at the time, that kind of thing uh…" she rubbed the toe of her boot against the ground, losing steam.

"Yeah?" Adrien encouraged, wanting her to continue.

"Well uh, like the past few years I got an ornament in the shape of a pencil, one that was a spool of thread, and another that was a p-pair of scissors. My mom says it's so that one day when I move out I can take all of my ornaments with me to decorate my tree with every year, and that looking through them will be like a timeline of my life. That way I can have something to decorate with and it's like memories you know?"

Adrien's mouth was open slightly, shocking her by how interested he seemed. "So you do the same for them?"

"W-well uh yeah. Once I got old enough to have an allowance and money of my own I started getting them ornaments too as gifts. They aren't always symbolic, usually just pretty. Things to fill the spaces of the tree once I move so they won't be sad."

"That's so awesome," Adrien said, something almost like awe in his voice. "Did you know which one you wanted to pick? What other kinds of traditions do you have?"

Marinette blinked at him for a second before pulling an intricate glass star out of the lineup. "I thought this one was really pretty."

He nodded, examining the woven glass and smiling at it. "I don't have a Christmas tree like that, I think it's cool that you do."

"You don't get a tree?" she asked, her head tilted a little. He had said 'like that' instead of just 'I don't get a tree' so she was a little lost.

"We have a fake one for decoration in the main hall. It has white and gold ornaments on it, kinda like a department store. Not something you really put gifts under or anything, just a tree."

She felt a sudden chill, and she saw it reflected in his eyes. No wonder he was so curious, he probably didn't have traditions. She'd be surprised if he even got gifts.

She didn't want him to be sad, he had been so happy, so much happier than she had ever seen him. She didn't want it to go away.

"W-what do you think about this one Adrien? Maybe a pyramid type thing instead?"

Adrien was snapped out of his slowly growing funk by Marinette's rushed question, the girl holding up two new ornaments to look at. She smiled at him, and he felt himself smile in return.

"I like it," he supplied with a smile, grateful for her distraction. "Is this for your mom or your dad?"

Marinette pulled Adrien in after that, any time he got too quiet she would make a joke or start a story or ask him a question, and it made him feel warm. He knew how shy she was how sometimes social things were as awkward for her as they were for him, but she was so determined to keep him smiling that she pushed past it all, adorably stumbling over her words in an attempt to keep him happy. The cold thought of home left him almost completely, softened and warmed by Marinette.

She had a habit of keeping him warm, he thought with an internal chuckle. Why had they never spoken much before? He saw now he had genuinely been missing out.

In the end they couldn't pick between three ornaments, each one an intricate glass replica of a famous sight of the city. Marinette held two of them in her hands while Adrien held their drinks, and she finally said, "Well let's just get one for each."

"Which one are you cutting out then?" he asked, but quirked an eyebrow at her sudden shy smile.

"Oh uh well I meant one for each. As in uh, one for my mom, one for my dad, and one for you."

"Me?" he couldn't help it, he blurted it out. She looked a little embarrassed.

"Well, you said you didn't have a real tree, it just had generic ornaments. So why not have one for you on it too? Then you can start getting one for yourself every year so when you live on your own your tree won't be empty."

He was stunned, and he was… moved honestly. It sounded so cool, to start a tradition like that, something he could keep up and enjoy at the end of his life.

"I- that sounds really awesome. Yeah, let's do it! Maybe I can get a mini tree for my room and then I can have it there!"

She laughed and it almost sounded like a sigh of relief it was so airy, examining them closely again before saying, "You should have the Eiffel Tower."

"Okay," he nodded in agreement, bouncing a little in place as he got more and more excited at the prospect of doing his own fun things for Christmas. He tried his best to pay for his but Marinette refused, saying to consider it as another gift and not to worry about it. They were _not_ cheap either, and it made him fidget uncomfortably. It wasn't just the price, it was the thought she put in to everything. He knew he owed her way more than just a cheap drink.

They arranged to pick up the fragile glass pieces once they were done looking around and set off once again down the row, Adrien's desire to even the gap of gifts taking a back seat to his conversations with Marinette.

"My family doesn't have way too many traditions, the ornament is a big one, but we have a few," she offered after he asked once again what her Christmas was like.

"Like what?" he pressed, genuinely curious. He was so focused on looking at her he almost ran in to a table filled with decorative nutcrackers.

She giggled at his clumsiness, fighting against her shyness to answer and finding it easier to manage. "We have gifts, only a few every year, and we open one of Christmas Eve together along with our stockings then on Christmas we open the rest. We usually just hang out and watch Christmas movies, maybe go out for a little. Mom and Dad make dinner, and we eat it as a family, then we just talk and stuff until we get too tired and go to bed.

"That sounds like a lot of fun," he smiled, trying to show he wasn't saddened by it, and for once he actually wasn't. "I'm really excited. For the first time this year my dad and I are actually going to spend Christmas together. He arranged for the two of us to go see a show on Christmas Eve, and he's actually going to be home for Christmas so I can see him then too."

"That's great Adrien!" Marinette was beaming at him, almost colliding with a table herself in her distraction and making him laugh. "I'm really happy for you!"

"I'm kinda nervous," he admitted, fiddling with his jacket, "but I think it will be great. I'm looking forward to it honestly, I can't remember the last Christmas where we actually celebrated, or he was even there."

He had been so surprised when his father relayed the plans to him through Natalie, and he had been hyping it up in his head ever since. A real Christmas! Maybe it was too much to hope for, but maybe he would even get a real gift, not just the generic one he got. He was fairly certain those were just paid forward for the next ten years or something.

"It's gonna be fine," she reassured him, and he was grateful for what felt like the hundredth time already for her earnest nature.

He was about to reply when he saw it, bright red and impossible to miss.

He was in the Ladybug tent faster than he would like to admit, looking around at a sea of Ladybug holiday merch. If Marinette wasn't there he honestly might have just thrown his credit card at the owner and taken his pick. However she _was_ there, staring around with an amused smile, so he had to show restraint.

There were sweaters, and shirts, and dolls, and masks, and phone cases and everything. Not as many puns, he noted sadly, but a lot of cute holiday stuff. One he really liked was a dorky sweater with ladybugs instead of spots flying through a maze of printed Christmas lights.

"Oh this is silly," he heard Marinette chuckle, trying on a dangly antenna headband with snowflakes along the band.

"This stuff is awesome," he admitted, drawn to a bright red non-holiday T shirt that said 'Bug Power' on it in squiggly black letters.

There was a slight hesitation in her voice, before she asked casually, "Are you a fan?"

"Of course! How could I not be? Beautiful hero of Paris, saving lives every day, talk about an amazing girl." Adrien bit his tongue suddenly, cutting off the gush and doing his best to not look like a fanboy. That was already sort of out the window though.

Marinette didn't respond and he didn't look over to find out why, too caught up in his shopping, but if he _had_ he might have caught a glimpse of her breakdown.

He was a **fan,** and not even just a fan a very enthusiastic fan as well. He thought Ladybug was **beautiful**. He was buying Ladybug merchandise, and he called her **BEAUTIFUL**.

The part of her that wasn't having an absolute fit idly wondered if her soul had left her body, but she was forced to pull it together when he spoke up, saying "I have a friend who would really like this," and held up a necklace. It looked very _expensive_ was the first word that came to mind. It was silver framed, an elegant minimal design of a cat curled around into almost a circle chasing after a ladybug. The ladybug looked made out of ruby, and the Cat looked like flat black onyx with an emerald in the eye. In all honesty she actually liked it quite a bit herself, and felt a small spike of jealousy. It was a very feminine gift, and she genuinely hoped it wasn't for Chloe. Or any other girl to be fair.

"That's beautiful," she squeaked out, unable to avoid the word dominating her mind, and he seemed pleased with the praise.

"How much?" he asked the store owner, who looked at him like he was doubtful the boy would approve of the price.

"One hundred eighty, no negotiation," he muttered crossly, and jolted when Adrien just passed him a card.

"I'll take it, and the shirt as well thanks."

The store owner looked stunned, then _delighted_ his whole mood shifting as he took the card graciously. "Of course sir!"

Adrien glanced over nervously at Marinette, hoping him just dropping two hundred dollars like it was nothing wouldn't make her think he was a stuck up rich kid. He didn't always have that kind of money to blow; his dad gave him a Christmas budget. She wasn't facing him though, so he couldn't read her reaction.

It took a few minutes to get everything packaged, and by then Marinette had at least somewhat come back down to earth, enough at least to keep wandering the market. She tried not to think about the necklace and who it was for, the uncomfortable knot of jealousy in her stomach making her feel guilty. And regardless of who the gift was for, he had called _her_ beautiful.

Adrien took another look at the necklace in the little black velvet box before smiling to himself and tucking it away in one of his many coat pockets. He had finally managed to get a gift for his Lady, and a nice one at that! It should be fine, though she might say it was a little over the top he was sure she would still accept it. So long as it wasn't a ring he couldn't imagine her protesting too much.

He tried to imagine her in it, but he doubted she would ever wear it as Ladybug. Maybe, somewhere in the city after Christmas night, there would be a young girl with that necklace going about her life thinking about her Cat every time she saw it or was complimented on it. He grinned at the thought of Ladybug thinking of him through the day.

They had already spent about an hour and a half at the market, and the next hour passed cheerfully. He and Marinette walked through the market slowly, taking their time and enjoying each other's company as they looked at all the holiday decorations and talked about all sorts of things. Their lives, memories, funny stories, even stuff like their favorite foods and TV shows. It never quite felt like small talk either; it was more natural than that. Even if Marinette sometimes got nervous or he sometimes backpedaled over an embarrassing flub it always felt like the other person was listening. To Adrien it was amazing to have someone ask him stuff like what his favorite season was and actually seem to care, listening intently and asking why.

"I'll always like winter I think, just the cold and the snow and stuff makes the whole city look different. What about you?"

"Fall," she answered easily, a smile on her face. "I love fall fashion and the colors of all the trees. Sitting in an outdoor café and sketching under a big golden tree is always something I've loved."

He grinned, and loved the fact that the first thing that occurred to him was how very _Marinette_ it was, now knowing her well enough to know what fit her and what didn't.

Then, with the word café in his mind, he realized with a jolt he had totally forgotten to feed her.

"Ah I'm sorry! You haven't eaten yet have you? I told you I'd get you something, I'm sorry you must be hungry."

She jumped at his outburst, landing with her eyes wide and her arms clutched to her chest like a frightened hamster and he almost laughed before she said, "Oh its okay! I am a bit hungry but I can get something myself, you must be hungry too."

He was, more than a bit now that he was paying attention to it, and he craned his neck around to look for some substantial food vendors. There wasn't a lot honestly, everything being treats or snacks or looking a little too wonky to trust. "Hm…"

"U-uh Adrien…"

Adrien looked over at Marinette, her voice reverting completely back to her shyness for the first time in two hours it seemed. She was blushing, her shoulders a little curled in and showing that she was suddenly very unsure of herself.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"W-well uh, you totally don't have to like at all if you didn't want to obviously but uh… well my house it right there and we just went shopping for groceries, s-so we could eat there- if you wanted to."

Adrien was caught off guard, blinking slowly.

She was inviting him over?

"I-I'd love to! Go to your house that is, that's okay with me!" He tried to hide his sudden eagerness, his good day getting even better when he realized how far his and Marinette's friendship had progressed. They had already been friends for a long time, but now they were _friends_ , like come on over friends. Admittedly he was kind of nervous, no doubt her parents would be there and he wanted to make a good impression, but he was still curious. The only thing that actually made him upset about the whole thing was how gracious and courteous she was; he was never going to catch up ever. First the coat, then the ornament, now she was going to take him to her home for lunch? He felt a little guilty.

"Okay! Okay yeah I'll text my mom. W-we should go get the uh- the…" she seemed to fade out, meeting his eyes and forgetting her sentence. He smiled at her occasionally disjointed words.

"Ornaments?"

"Yeah!"

He twirled on his heel, sliding easily in the snow and had to genuinely work to keep the Cat Noir swagger from his steps. He felt so free and happy, he felt like Cat even without the mask for once. While Marinette pulled out her phone he did the same, happy to see a message from Nino.

'N- Hey man sorry I haven't been able to text I know your life basically falls apart without me. Have you been coping without the coolest guy you know?'

He chuckled aloud, Marinette looking up at his with her wide doe eyes curiously but he didn't say anything at first. He typed out a response.

'A- it's tough but I've gotten by, lord knows how I've managed. I'm actually having an amazing day.'

He and Marinette walked to the ornament stall and he looked on as she got them packaged in a bag, laying her cat pun sweater on top to keep them from jostling too much. She was asking about something when he got a response.

'N- There you are! What's making your day so good? Glad to hear it by the way.'

"Hey Mari," Adrien suddenly asked, watching as the girl turned around with a slight blush at the familiar way of addressing her. Luckily she didn't seem to mind, in fact she seemed delighted.

"Yeah?"

"Take a selfie with me really quick, I need a contact photo for you anyways."

She flushed a charming shade of pink before hurrying to his side, self-consciously adjusting her scarf and beanie, trying not to feel plain next to someone as gorgeous as Adrien. But still, he had called her beautiful. He might have meant Ladybug but _she_ was Ladybug, so she was beautiful to him, wasn't she?

Adrien lay an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close against his side, her smile growing into one of pure delight that he would later reflect on as extremely cute every time her photo popped up on his phone. Her cheeks were pink and her nose just a little red from the cold, her freckles dotting across her face and Christmas decorations catching the sun light behind them. When he saw how happy she looked in the open camera screen of his phone he realized just how happy he looked too, and when he clicked the button it suddenly became one of his favorite pictures. He had taken thousands of photos in his time, but something about the pure unbridled cheer of Christmas time made it surpass anything he had ever seen himself in. Or maybe it was just because Marinette was there, he really didn't know.

"Can you send that to me?" she asked, sounding a little breathless for some reason as they pulled away from each other, Adrien checking the picture on his phone with a big grin.

"Yeah absolutely, I'm sending it to Nino too is that okay? I didn't want to type out a whole thing saying where I was. Picture's worth a thousand words right?"

"Yeah!" she giggled delicately, holding her bags in her arms and moving out in front of him. "M-my house is this way, are you ready?"

"Yup, let's go!"

.

There was no way for him to know obviously the way Nino gaped at his phone at the sight of a lifetime. Marinette and Adrien huddled together smiling like they were announcing an engagement or something with the most typical hallmark festive backdrop of all time. The caption Adrien had sent along with it said simply 'Marinette and I have been having an awesome time at the park!' and it was so astounding to see with his own eyes. Mari had really done it, she had spoken to him _and_ hung out with him and he was **insanely** proud of her, and also a little grateful. The smile on Adrien's face… he really must be having a great time.

"Good one Marinette," he said to himself, chuckling into the empty air, "merry Christmas you losers."

.

 **((Guys help I've fallen in love with this story I have a chapter 3 and 4 planned out help))**


	3. Chapter 3

"Here I'll get the door," Adrien said, running ahead to open the bakery door for Marinette, who insisted on carrying her bags.

"Thank you," she squeaked quietly, moving quickly to get inside and finally out of the cold. Adrien let the door swing shut with a soft chime, and suddenly he was standing in the Dupen-Cheng bakery.

The building looked tiered, with the house proper above them and their workspace below, the whole place pleasantly soaked in the smell of freshly baked pastries. It was charming and very nice, making him even more eager to see their home. It was such a novel idea, living above a bakery you owned, it intrigued him. He jumped however when the absolutely massive man who he remembered as Marinette's father towered into view with a booming, "Hello there!"

"Hi Dad!" Marinette was quick to greet him, setting her bags on the counter for a moment and hugging him, wasting no time in turning and gesturing at the young boy stood a little awkwardly in the common space. "This is Adrien, you might have seen him in my class and he's a friend of Alya and Nino's too."

He chuckled, the sound low and mirthful, making Adrien relax a little.

"Oh yes I recognize him from the usual group, though it is nice to properly meet you. You can call me Tom of course."

The man strode forward and held out his hand to shake, Adrien accepting the gesture with a polite smile but honestly a little intimidated by how lost his hand was in her father's.

"Nice to meet you sir," Adrien said by way of greeting, earning a genuine smile that curbed his intimidation almost immediately. This man had probably only a handful of bad words to say about anyone in his whole life.

"Hahaha, Sir! Such a gentleman," he chuckled, confirming Adrien's thoughts. This guy was as nice as they came, he saw now where Marinette's earnest friendliness came from.

"What have you got there?" Tom said suddenly, turning to look at Marinette's bags before she whisked them back into her arms with a playful scowl.

"Presents papa, no peeking!"

To Adrien's amazement the man playfully frowned back, hunching his shoulders and sighing dramatically. "Brushed off by my own daughter, what a world. Oh well at least Sabine is nice to me."

"Daad!" Marinette whined, shaking her head and laughing along with him before seeming to think better of excluding Adrien, referring to him with a shy smile that still held humor. "He's a drama queen."

"And this is my kingdom," Tom said with a flourish of his hands, making the kids laugh as he turned his back to return to his work. "Welcome to our home Adrien, stay as long as you like! Sabine is making something for the two of you now."

Marinette let out a tiny shocked gasp before shouting up the stairs, "Mama! You didn't have to!"

Adrien couldn't help the smile that was a constant on his face since entering the home, only growing when he heard a female voice call down, "I wasn't going to make you cook! Bring up your friend I'd like to meet him!"

Marinette giggled tensely, holding the bags awkwardly and looking back to Adrien, her nerves slowly replaced with surprised relief as he still seemed to be in a great mood.

"I'll introduce you to my mom, the house is this way," she spoke up, gesturing with her body for him to follow.

Adrien was over, meeting her parents, in her _house_. She was doing **so well** , she was so proud of herself. It was getting easier to talk to him, to laugh and share things and it was _amazing_.

When Adrien saw how steep the stairs were he let out a breathy laugh and said, "Okay you were stubborn before but let me at least carry ONE bag."

After a moment's hesitation she relented with a light blush and the two of them headed upstairs, leading through to the kitchen/living area where her mom was.

"Hello!" he was greeted happily, and he saw a pretty older woman smiling at him over her shoulder. "My name is Sabine, you're Adrien right?"

"Yes mam'" he answered happily, "It's very nice to meet you! Thank you so much for letting me come over."

"Of course! I'm making food for you now, do hot sandwiches sound fine sweetheart?"

"Yes that sounds great, thank you!" he said enthusiastically, making the woman smile before she turned back around. She was working quickly, rolling together spiced ground beef it looked like and heating up a basic sauce from a jar for the makings of something like a meatball sandwich? He had no clue, but he was excited for it.

"We can put this stuff down in my room," Marinette spoke up, drawing his attention to another small flight of stairs with a hatch at the top. "It's this way, but give me just a sec, I need to do something."

"No problem," he said with a grin, moving to wait by the bottom of the stairs. His visit had been impromptu, her room might not be in a state she was comfortable with sharing.

His hearing was very sharp and he could hear her moving quickly, collecting what sounded to be pieces of paper and maybe… stapling something? There were another two minutes of silence, which she was in reality using to ensure she had gotten _every single picture_ of him out of her room including the desktop and stashed Tikki in her closet before nervously calling, "Okay, come on up!"

For her it was huge milestone and her heart was thumping erratically with nerves, the boy of her fixation coming in to view, _standing in her room_ , looking around with a soft smile on his face. He was here, she had really done it. He was standing in her room. _They were friends_.

"Your room is really cool! Is this all your design stuff?" he asked, setting his bag down along with hers on a couch like sitting space near the wall and silently asking for permission to proceed. When he earned a shy nod and smile he went forward, looking at the well-used sewing machine and progress sketches tacked along the wall.

"Is this for my jacket?" he asked, looking at a handful of pages that looked like slow progressions towards the look he recognized as the very jacket he was wearing.

"Y-yup. I went through loads of phases for it before I uh- l-liked how it looked for you. Well I mean looked as a whole but it was _for_ you." She clammed up, probably deciding silence was safest and he smiled at her in a way he hoped would make her more at ease again. He didn't want to lose the companionship they had forged, but he recognized having him in her room probably put her more towards her shy side again.

"How long did the planning phase take? This is **awesome**."

"I-I've been changing it for about two months, I finally picked though not long before I gave it to you."

He stopped, pausing in thought before turning to her with a quizzical tilt of the head.

"Two months? But we only got our secret santa's the week before break."

She made something like a strangled squeak, her cheeks and the bridge of her nose red as she laughed nervously.

"W-well I- I uh. I was actually already… planning it. I was designing it f-for you, for Christmas. Then I got you as a secret Santa and decided to just g-gift it that way."

Marinette wasn't sure what to think of his reaction at first, his eyes widening a little and his mouth popping open, his gaze darting between the sketches and her and the workspace and her again.

"Y-you were planning a gift just for me that far in advance?"

He could have sworn she was just as red as her scarf, her hands twisting the length of red fabric nervously in her hands and she didn't look at him.

"I- I wanted it to be perfect."

What she didn't expect,

Was a hug.

He was wrapped around her out of nowhere, closing the distance between them faster than she could comprehend, holding her tight and speaking into her shoulder by the time she gasped in surprise.

" **Thank you**."

He said it sort of heavy, and after a few seconds of frozen shocked confused disbelief she hugged him back, staring dazed over his shoulder.

"No one's ever thought of me like that, wanting to make something just for me as a gift I- I can't even believe- just- _thank you_."

He pulled away from her, his hands still on her shoulders, looking her in the eyes so she could see how much he meant it.

"It's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me, you really are amazing Marinette." He said it with something that was almost a laugh, just a breathy exhale of happiness and emotion. His grin was automatic, splitting his face as he gazed down at her, the designer's face filling with pride and joy.

She had no idea what to say, no idea if she even had a voice left, but her words fell out on their own, high and broken with giggles.

"I'm g-glad I could make you happy!"

He let her go then, trying to be conscious of her personal space but she didn't seem to mind that he had hugged her. He looked again at the sketches, smiling to himself like a doofus but he couldn't find it in him to be embarrassed. "I'll make it up to you someday I swear, all your kindness. I'll figure something out."

"I told you already Adrien, you don't have to," there was a hesitation in her sentence, and she seemed to hype herself up to say something before blurting out, "getting to know you better m-more than makes up for it."

He looked at her quickly, meeting her eyes and seeing the fragile confidence she had built up to say that to him reflected in her face. She stood with her arms close to her, but her stance firm, and a gentle smile on her face.

It made him grin. "See then you say stuff like that and I know I owe you more than ever. You're so kind, I'll catch up soon."

That confidence in her eyes settled into place, her body relaxing a little as she huffed and smiled wryly at his determination.

She moved to take off her coat, setting the puffy fabric down on her lounge and revealing a light white long sleeve shirt with a wide neckline that showed her collar bone. When his eyes followed her hands as she removed her gloves he caught a flash of gold and felt that same spark of pride when he saw his bell hanging just past the edge of the neckline. She didn't remove the scarf, just let it dangle a little looser. He had admittedly been a little distracted, having tracked the gold of the bell then examined the contour of her collar bone and then- ehem.

He tore his eyes away, scolding himself with a twinge of embarrassment. You're in her house you jerk, she might be pretty but don't be disrespectful.

He settled in in much the same way, removing his coat and folding it to place over the back of her desk chair and removing his gloves. While he was stood by her desk he saw another few removed pages from her sketchbook, calling over to her, "Why are these ones separated from the rest? I really like them."

"Huh? Oh, those ones I- well." She seemed to consider her words carefully, that concentrated designer mode he had witnessed a handful of times falling over her. "I'm not entirely happy with them. I was researching different ways to go about making it but I just don't know if it will work."

"Why not?"

She walked over towards him, chuckling a little self-consciously. "I-I don't want to talk your ear off about cuts and stitching."

"No do it!" he said excitedly, settling in to her chair with an attentive expression that made her laugh. "I might get confused but I'll try and keep up. I know a bit about clothes just from immersion, though nothing much about making them, even if I should. Try me!"

She blinked, a little surprised, before giggling into her hand. "Are you sure? Well… I mean it's sorta boring but…"

Their conversation quickly became an in depth discussion of lapel types and what was and wasn't in fashion, Adrien sometimes playfully saying cat pun sweaters were the next big thing or something else that would make Marinette laugh. He could do that a lot he noticed, make her laugh. And oh man could she make him laugh, she was so funny. Just her facial expressions alone sometimes were so amazing, how she used them to tell half the joke for her. They were so caught up in each other that it took Sabine physically opening the hatch to get their attention, and with a flash of embarrassment the two of them realized she had been calling for them for a while.

"Sorry mom! We're coming!"

Adrien chuckled and smiled shyly at Sabine who just laughed. "Okay, hurry up."

The two kids made their way to the kitchen, sandwiches prepared and lined up for them already. He was right they were a sort of meatball thing, toasted French bread rolls filled with the spiced meat coated in sauce, melted white cheese over the top before being enclosed back in the roll. It was relatively simple and quick to make, but it looked amazing.

"Thank you Mam', I really appreciate it," he nodded his head graciously and she laughed again.

"It's no problem sweetheart, I'll do it anytime so come by as often as you like."

Adrien slid in to his seat, very much so liking the idea of coming there again. He had only traded a hand full of words with the parents and they were so warm and welcoming.

He started to eat and was delighted with the taste, grinning at Mari between bites. They didn't talk too much at first, too busy with their food, until they were about halfway through. Adrien had made a joke that made Mari choke on her drink when Tom came up, catching the handsome blonde boy laughing heartily at how Mari scowled at him.

Tom and Sabine switched places in the bakery so he could eat, and he chuckled at the sight of Adrien snickering into his food as his daughter swore revenge.

"Hello kids, food good?" he asked, grabbing a larger portion of his own.

"Yes sir!" Adrien piped up, Mari choosing not to say anything and scowling in mock irritation at Adrien until he started laughing again. "Look Mari it's not my fault I'm hilarious."

Tom did his best to keep to himself, but having a hard time containing his laughter at the adorable banter the two held.

"See?" Adrien said at one point during an argument, "your dad is on my side, right sir? Puns are an extremely vital part of comedy."

"I am a father," Tom laughed, "puns are required. I've gotten so good with them I could take my Dad jokes on tour, being a baker doesn't put much else _besides_ bread on the table."

Adrien blinked, and then howled with laughter while Marinette groaned good-naturedly. Marinette had to admit, how excited her father was to have someone to tell bad jokes to was pretty funny. She had finally found the catalyst for her father's terrible jokes, and she never would have guessed it would be Adrien. After that she lost her date-not date to her father for a little while, the two of them swapping absolutely _horrible_ jokes that made Marinette lay her head down on the table, much to their delight.

"HA, I've got to tell that one to Sabine she's going to hate it. Are you two going back out again or are you going to hang out here?" Tom had risen, taking his and the children's plates towards the sink and drifting towards the staircase to torment his wife with some new jokes he had learned.

"Oh- uh I don't- Adrien?" Marinette referred to him, the boy checking his phone with a frown. It was already 3:30.

"I have a dumb thing at 5:00, so I should probably be home by 4:30. I've got an hour, so it's up to you! We're about finished with the market, but I'm sure we can find something else if we walk around. Or you can keep showing me your designs."

Marinette thought it over for a moment, worrying that her house was boring or uninteresting without much to do but also enjoying the warmth of the house and the thought of Adrien in her room just hanging out like friends and-

"I can show you what I'm working on next i-if you want," Marinette asked with a shy smile, to which Adrien replied with an enthusiastic nod, bouncing to his feet.

"That sounds good! Is it for you or a gift?"

Tom watched as his daughter shyly but happily started to describe her work, leading the boy back towards her room. He couldn't help but chuckle again, before heading downstairs himself to tell his wife some of the jokes Adrien had told him.

.

The next hour was unbelievable. Over Marinette's desktop speakers she played a random Christmas station, getting more and more excited about her projects and laughing at how silly she discovered Adrien could be. She would pace from one end of the room to the other clutching sketches or cloth or needles and Adrien would chase along behind her in her rolling desk chair, pulling up his legs and spinning as he gently rolled past her with a grin. It was insane to see, to actually get to a point where Adrien was more full of life than she had ever witnessed before from afar. And for him, seeing Marinette laugh and even _tease_ him, bouncing around all bubbly and excited, it was one of the greatest things he had ever seen. She had always been so shy and while she was still a little awkward, a little clumsy, a little silly, he never once considered those bad things. She was so courteous and thoughtful, he saw no reason for her to be self-conscious, someone as amazing as her deserved all the confidence in the world. Though he supposed he could only hope that time would change that.

Adrien realized with a little unease that it was becoming increasingly more difficult not to _blatantly_ be Cat Noir. It was almost impossible, and he was slipping constantly. Luckily he had managed to avoid calling her Princess but there were distinctly Cat Noir things that he never did as Adrien he was worried might tip her off. Honestly though, he couldn't help it, he was in a better mood than he had been in for a long time, outside of being with Ladybug that is. He noticed with a faint kind of humor that this kind of happiness could be found in friends too, not just love, that maybe he could have yet another amazing friend. Before it had been Ladybug and Nino holding the titles of best friend, but he suddenly had hope Mari would be there too.

He had been scooting away from Marinette, spamming her phone's camera and clogging her storage while he laughed when he got a phone call. With a pout he relinquished Marinette's phone, snickering at her frustrated huff when she saw the pictures were in the hundreds now, pulling his own phone from his pocket and running cold.

 _Woops_ , it was 5:05.

"H-hi Natalie," he tried to start, giving Marinette a sheepish grin as she too noticed the time with a horrified gasp.

Marinette could only watch as Adrien winced, obviously being chewed out to some degree by his father's assistant.

"Y-yes I know, I'm sorry. Yes. I'll head home n- Okay. Yeah the park wi- Oh he's already there? Okay, yeah. Sorry, I'll go now."

Adrien hung up quickly, sighing as he slumped back into the chair.

"I've got to go," he said sourly, rolling his head to look over at Marinette. She looked a little saddened, and a little concerned, his mood reviving slightly when he saw how much she didn't want him to go. Not a single cell in his body wanted to leave that warm cheerful bakery, but he was already in trouble as it was.

"I had a really really nice time," Marinette squeaked, smiling cutely at him with a slight blush.

"Me too, it was awesome, seriously," he responded, standing up and heading towards his coat. He slid it on carefully, keeping Plagg out of sight, and when he turned around Marinette was holding out the little box containing his ornament, and the red Bug Power t-shirt.

"Are you busy tomorrow?" she blurted out, her cheeks darkening as she asked but her stance determined.

Adrien stared for a moment, before a smile slowly spread across his face. "Not really, I don't think so I'd have to check."

He took the items from her, smiling at how uncertain she was, twirling the scarf he had bought her in her hands as she tried to seem nonchalant. "I-I'm not busy tomorrow."

It was quick, and he hesitated to even call it a mistake. That didn't mean it wasn't risky though, and very Cat Noir, but something about her brought it out in him. He caught her hand, holding it for a moment in a way that didn't quite qualify as polite, watching as her eyes widened and her mouth pop open in a little 'o'.

"Tomorrow it is," he grinned, a thumb rubbing gently across her knuckles before he released her, moving past her towards the hatch on his own. "I'll text you, okay?"

She stared after him, stunned, her wide doe eyes watching him go, before in the tiniest breath of a voice she said, "O-okay!" with a light smile on her lips.

.

Adrien called his goodbyes to her parents as he left, unable to hide the satisfied grin on his face as he did, waving to the kind people before walking back out into the snow. It was snowing, flakes falling from the sky and cooling his hot face as he hurried towards the waiting car at the park, most of his attention on his phone as he ran. He was checking his calendar, and every part of him furiously hoped he wasn't busy. And almost as is by a Christmas miracle, he wasn't.

Adrien had been in quite a bit of trouble for being so late to a shoot, but his father hadn't been there in person so everything had gone relatively smoothly. He did as he was meant to, going through the motions like a good boy until around nine o clock that night when he was released again. When he finally got home his voice echoed off the large empty hall as he made his way to his room, on the phone with Nino.

"I don't know what you're hoping to hear man," Adrien was chuckling, "we hung out all day and had a super awesome time. Then we ate at her house and hung out there and then I went to my shoot."

"Are you gonna see her again?" Nino asked quickly, excitement clear in his voice. "Christmas Eve is on Thursday, you have two days to blow in between! You should hang out with her again I knew you guys would hit it off more if you just talked."

Adrien shook his head at his not so subtle best friend, but grinned while saying "Actually I am seeing her again tomorrow. I was going to text her to find out the time once I was done talking to you."

"You were gonna talk to Marinette again once we're done?" Nino echoed him, before suddenly saying, "My mom's calling me got to go!" and abruptly hanging up. He just wanted him talking to Mari again, he was getting very excited over nothing.

"Nino?" Adrien called out, already knowing he was gone. The line was dead and he sighed, opening his door.

The second they were clear Plagg darted out in the open cackling at his charge as he gently tucked his coat away.

"Looks like your buddy is rooting for the shy girl!"

Adrien groaned, his neck hot from embarrassment.

"I am too for the record," Plagg tacked on, making Adrien quirk an eyebrow.

"What about Ladybug?"

"Well I'd say they are about dead even," Plagg laughed vaguely, abandoning Adrien to find some food.

"She's my friend Plagg come on, I've already got Nino on it don't you join in."

"You're all about crushes," Plagg complained, "it's all you talk about, what's so bad about being lumped in with her?"

"It's not _bad_ , it's just not how it is!" Adrien frowned at his kwami, stripping down a few layers into just his t-shirt and walking towards his computer. If he was being completely honest he didn't mind Nino's enthusiasm, he found it funny. He wasn't going to let his teasing keep him from seeing her though just to keep a rumor from starting, he hadn't had that much fun outside of a patrol in a long time.

Speaking of crushes however…

Adrien doubled back to where he had hung his coat, reaching in to the pocket and pulling out the small black box holding his present for Ladybug. He opened the lid, letting the piece of jewelry flash in the light of his room, smiling happily.

It was perfect… but he wasn't sure when he would see her again.

"Plagg, when you're done eating can you do me a favor?"

Marinette was staring at the hundred or so pictures of a blurry laughing Adrien she had on her phone, giggling like a fool as she scrolled through them. Sometimes you could see a frame by frame animation of her chasing him down but it was mostly just blurred photos of nothing. It was the ones he had taken before she had noticed that were her favorites, no blur at all and just pictures of his smug smile.

"Marinette! Cat Noir is calling you," Tikki piped up, and Marinette looked over at her kwami.

"I hope there isn't trouble, he's probably just calling to ask about patrol."

She sat up from her bed and headed straight outside, transforming in to Ladybug on the way and letting the falling snow be the backdrop of her call, shivering a little from the cold.

She answered and the image of her partner leaning against a carefully neutral white wall somewhere indoors filled her compact's screen.

"Hello my lady!" he called cheerfully, grinning at her so infectiously she couldn't help but return it. Well wasn't somebody in a good mood. "Happy holidays and all that, staying warm?"

She laughed, saying "Yeah I am. You seem chipper, have a good day?"

"The _best_ day," he replied, giving her a wink, "even more so now that I've gotten to talk to you."

"Asking about patrol kitty? It's snowing, I'm not sure we should."

"No no, well yes but not entirely," and to her surprise he sobered up a little, looking a tad nervous. "I actually wanted to know if I could see you sometime before Christmas. I have a gift for you."

"A gift? You didn't have to Cat, but thank you. I actually have one for you as well," she smiled, her excellent day letting her be a little warmer to her friend and easing his doubts.

"For me?" he blurted out, his eyes wide and genuinely surprised before he laughed happily. "I love it already!"

"I think you'll like it," she said vaguely, smirking mostly to herself, "It's very you."

"When did you want to meet up?"

She thought about it for a moment, mulling it over in her mind.

"What about Wednesday night? Late, right before it becomes Christmas Eve. I'll be busy tomorrow, and Thursday and Friday obviously, but that way it's still technically the holiday."

"Okay that sounds purrfect, I can't wait!" he laughed, and when it seemed like the call was about to end, Ladybug spoke suddenly.

"Oh hey Cat, I heard a rumor earlier about you."

"A rumor? Is it the nine lives thing?" he chuckled, his shit eating grin ever constant.

"No," she looked at him, a little smug to have her cat red handed being cute. "I heard you surprised some kids today in a snowball fight, is that true?"

Cat Noir jolted sharply, his eyes wide when he asked, "Uh-uh how… how did you hear about that exactly?"

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, smiling lightly. "Don't be embarrassed, I think it's great, you probably made them so happy. I overheard some citizens talking about it while I was out."

"Oh, haha yeah you're right of course," he laughed, the sound airy and making her suspicious. "Those kids probably told their parents who told a bunch of people. Yeah, one of them was pretending to be me can you believe it? I couldn't resist surprising them." He visibly relaxed the more he talked, and although she knew his reaction was off there wasn't much more she could learn about it without him clamming up. He was still coming down from whatever conclusion he had jumped too, but the cold was finally getting to her.

"Alright, I'll see you Wednesday night Cat, I'm gonna go in now."

"Okay Lady, Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas Cat."

.

The call ended and left Cat Noir sitting in his room, his transformation unraveling as he regulated his breathing.

He had almost panicked, he was being silly, jumping to a conclusion like that out of nowhere. Of course citizens would spread that around, superheroes were always the talk of the town that wasn't new. Just because the only person he had told about that _personally_ was Marinette didn't make her- it was foolish to have even considered it. Ha, man. What an idea, he had almost had the time to buy in to it as well, but no she was right. He was right.

Can you even imagine _Marinette_ as Ladybug?

He laughed aloud in his room but the sound was a little off, becoming disjointed and sort of fading away. Silence reigned after a moment, Adrien sitting very still.

He could, honestly.

He stood up suddenly, shaking his head and walking to his desk to collect his real phone. He was stopping that train of thought right there he wasn't going to impose his obsession with Ladybug on his new friend, he was angry with himself for even letting it start. That wasn't fair in the least, to try and compare the two of them as if to explain their sudden closeness. He liked Marinette for her, not because she reminded him of-

He shook his head again, dispelling the comparison completely and focusing on something different. Ladybug had heard the rumor thanks to citizens in the city, end of story, he had something else to think of now. Like when exactly he was meeting up with Marinette.

He looked at the clock, it was almost ten now but it was vacation so maybe she was still up.

'A- Hey Mari, are you awake?'

He sat back in his desk chair to wait for her response, smiling at her new contact photo. The two of them standing in the snow smiled back, and that warm happiness that had been burning in his chest all day flared up again.

He put his phone down, scooting over to where he had set his ornament box down and pulling it into his lap. Carefully, aware of the fragile glass, he removed the delicate glass tower and held it in his hands. For now, he reasoned, it needed a place to sit, so he placed it down next to his monitors for his computer where he would always see it. He doubted he would pack it away once the season was over and since the holiday was so close he didn't know if he would have time to get a mini tree for himself this year, so he decided to let his desk keep it for now. Then when next year came he could put it on a tree, hopefully with another ornament to keep it company.

His phone buzzed then, rattling against the hard surface of his desk and he scooped it up into his hands, happy to see the eager, 'Yes!' displayed by her name.

'A- awesome! I was wondering when you wanted to meet up tomorrow and what you wanted to do. We can just play video games and stuff if you wanted."

Now that she was expecting his texts the response came quickly.

'M- that sounds fun! I don't play any games really myself, but I'd like to. Are there any you like that you'd want me to try?'

Oh. Oh man that sealed the deal right there that's what they would be doing _all day_. A blank slate for him to introduce gaming wonders to, he didn't even know where to start.

'A- loads! I really like games, I have way too many that I love, is there anything you would like in particular to narrow it down?'

'M- oh uh, I dunno. Give me some categories?'

Adrien sat in his chair, staring into space as he tried to think. Suddenly he was on his feet, rushing up to his second level where he stashed his games in the shelves. He looked over the titles and abandoned that strategy, instead trying to think of Marinette. She was pretty whimsical, so she probably liked stories a lot. Something with a cool story then, something engaging? His mind flashed to his favorite series, Legend of Zelda, but wasn't sure if he wanted to introduce her to it by Twilight Princess or Majora's mask. Those two were a little more somber, Ocarina of time was better, but really as far as 3D Zelda games went it came down to Windwaker and Skyward sword.

'A- okay I've picked two. You choose, heroic sea/land adventure, or heroic sky/land adventure.'

'M- sea/land sounds fun. Let's do that one ^u^'

He couldn't help but giggle at her emoticon usage, pulling Windwaker from his shelf and heading down to where his consoles were.

'A- Legend of Zelda: Windwaker it is! It's one of my favorites I think you'll really like it. I can explain all the story things you need to know. Fair warning, I kind of love this game. I might be sorta annoying about it.'

'M- I'm excited! If you like it I'm sure I will. When did you want to come over? I wake up pretty early on my own, anything after 9 is fine.'

'A- 9:30 okay? I'll bring the console'

'M- sounds awesome, I'm excited to play. Oh hey uh- would it be okay if at 1 pm or so I kinda vanished? It would only be for like forty minutes but my parents are getting a shipment and need help loading stuff in sometimes'

'A- that's fine! Can I help?'

There was a pause for a while.

'M- You don't have to! Its labor work its fine I can do it'

'A- I wouldn't mind! We can play it by ear'

'M- Okay, if you're sure. Shoot me a text when you're on your way tomorrow, I'm gonna go to bed. Goodnight Adrien!'

He smiled at his phone, looking at their picture together for a little while more before saying, 'Goodnight Mari!'

.

He got changed into warm pajamas and used the final dredges of his energy for the day to pack up everything he would need to take to Marinette's (including a few backup games she was sure to love in case Windwaker fell through) into a black duffel bag he usually used for fencing. Once that was done and Plagg had eaten his fill, he finally turned off the lights and collapsed into bed, closing the curtains on one of his greatest days, hoping for another when the sun came up. His alarm was set, and he was already aching to be back in the pleasant bakery with his newfound friend.

When he eventually fell asleep, it was with a smile.

.

 **((My headcanon that Adrien is a huge LoZ nerd is showing again, and now presenting dad joke Tom Dupen-Cheng! Nino is quite the shipper in this, and perhaps we shall see Alya's side in the next bit? Accidently might need a chapter 5 as well for this, really hardcore doubt I'll get to everything next chapter. Thank you all so much for the reviews! Every time I see one I get super excited))**


	4. Chapter 4

'A- I'm on my way, be there in fifteen'

'M- Okay! Did you eat breakfast?'

'A- oh no I forgot to haha'

'M- I'll have something waiting for you, so just come on in and up to the kitchen when you get here'

'A- you don't have to! I'll be fine'

'M- you know I'm gonna'

'A- okay fine, be there soon'

Adrien was very awake, already having showered and gotten dressed. He ran to where his coat sat waiting for him, slipping it on quickly as he started to get Plagg ready as well.

"You're all set up dude," Adrien said aloud to the grumpy black cat floating nearby. "Look! Loads of cheese for you in the bag, it will last you for a while if you pace yourself."

"It better be good stuff, _nice stuff_ , I'm going to be stuck in your sweaty gym bag for hours and hours while you goof off."

"Come on Plagg please, it won't be that bad I'll find some excuse to let you out at some point okay, don't fight me on this." Adrien wasn't quite begging, but he wanted to get going and be there already, Plagg scowling uncooperatively.

"The bag is _lousy_ with cheese Plagg and its warm and your mitten is in there and it smells like cheese now nothing else."

"The nose _knows_ Adrien," he groaned, but much to his charge's relief he floated sourly towards the bag, settling in to his cozy side pocket to hide until Adrien took out the console later on and gave him free reign of the space.

"Thank you Plagg I'll make it up to you," he called into the duffel bag, zipping it up and lifting it gently before practically sprinting out the door. It was about 9:20 when he made it out of the house, looking up in surprise at how heavily it was snowing, before laughing it off and barreling down the street. It was terribly cold outside but he was plenty warm, his coat, earmuffs and scarf helping him out as he rushed across Paris. He knew he would get there faster if he just took the car but he liked the journey there, getting more and more excited as he left deep impressions in the snow. The chill burned his lungs but he liked it, relishing in the exercise since he hadn't had much of it once the weather turned cold. He couldn't wait, he knew Mari would be a good sport about it even if games weren't her thing but he was _sure_ she would like it. He was going to walk her through everything, be her companion character.

He laughed out loud at the weird comparison, aligning himself with guide/support characters like Navi and the King of Red Lions. In his head he imagined Marinette dressed as Link, holding a map and looking confused while he stood nearby helping her out, themed like a black cat assist guide or something.

His attention was forced to refocus as his feet slid sharply on ice, his body naturally twisting to regain balance as he let out a panicked yelp. He managed to right himself, stumbling back into a run and letting out a heavy sigh tinged at the end with laughter as he kept his pace. If he didn't pay attention he was going to wipe out. Luckily though he was almost there, just a few more streets to go.

Marinette was giggling uncontrollably in the kitchen, totally overwhelmed in her over active daydreams as she darted around. Her mother was standing beside her at the stove, helping her daughter prepare breakfast for her friend but watching her all the while, smiling at how giddy she was.

Marinette was lost in the idea of cooking for Adrien, indulging in a happy fantasy of making his meals as he darted home to her through the snow, sliding in with a "Honey, I'm home!" and grabbing her for a kiss. Mind you the image was a little silly, considering well… everything, but she couldn't help it. A whole day with Adrien, just relaxing while he taught her about something he loved. Maybe they could have hot chocolate! And cookies and go out for lunch when they wanted to take a break and walk through the snow and _hold hands_ and- oh god she was over the moon. Friends, she scolded herself, trying to calm her frantic heart. Friends first, don't be weird, don't make it weird you are doing so well don't make it weird. Friends.

She could do friends, because so far it was one of the greatest things in the world.

She felt her phone go off in her pocket, breaking away from her preparations to check it and seeing it was from Alya.

'Alya- Is he there yet?!'

Marinette giggled again, knowing her friend was almost as excited as she was. Ever since she had found the time to fill her in after Adrien left for his shoot she had been bombarding her with texts, demanding updates.

'M- Not yet, he's on his way. Alya I'm making him BREAKFAST'

The response was instantaneous.

'Alya- Oh. My. GOD. GIRL THAT IS SO DOMESTIC THAT'S THE CUTEST THING EVER'

Then an immediate follow up.

'Alya- Nino got a selfie and I am damn outraged I didn't get one, if I don't get some cute ass photo of you two sitting by a tree or something I'm going to lose my mind'

Marinette snickered, catching her mom's attention again as she typed out a reply.

'M- I'll see what I can do, I've got to go wish me luck!'

'A- Good luck girl!'

Marinette quickly tucked her phone, throwing herself back in and announcing, "I'm going to get some croissants from dad!"

Sabine smiled, almost finished with the omelets. "That's a good idea, get some fresh ones for the both of you."

"Right!"

She sprinted away, leaving her mother to smile at the empty air. It was so wonderful, she couldn't imagine a nicer boy. So polite and handsome, he had obviously caught her daughter's eye. Not to mention what potential there was, she could see it all. Her Marinette was sweet and genuine, and she could see from just saying hello to him that those were things he needed, things his life lacked. She had her suspicions that something was wrong with his home, and she had discovered it was the truth from Marinette when she told her that she had bought an ornament for him. You could see it for a moment, flashing through his eyes at the strangest of times. Something sad and longing, or distant and unsure when he would see something simple. Like Tom hugging their daughter, or when she made him something to eat, like he wasn't used to seeing… family.

She focused again on the food, finding a simple dish of eggs suddenly that much more important. Her daughter would be a good friend for such a lonely boy, maybe he wouldn't feel so alone when he stepped through her door again. She very much hoped so.

Just when Marinette had made it back upstairs she heard the door downstairs chime and her father greet someone excitedly. She rushed to grab the plates, holding them out for her mother to slide the omelets from the pan so she could place them on the table. She was setting the baked goods on the plate, her heart pounding and her giggles barely withheld in her throat when up the stairs came the gorgeous smiling boy, snow in his hair.

"H-hey Adrien!" Mari greeted him, bouncing a little in place when he beamed at her.

"Hey Mari!"

His breathing sounded a little heavier than normal but she chalked it up to the cold, her mother speaking up.

"Hello sweetheart, Marinette just finished making you some food! Feel free to set up in the living room, I promise Tom and I won't bother you too much."

"You could never be a bother mam'," Adrien answered quickly, grinning while the mother laughed.

"Such a charming young man. If you have want for anything let me know okay?" She stunned him by hugging him as she passed, stretching up to pat his hair and dust off some of the snow as she passed him.

He stood still for a moment, the friendliness paralyzing him before finally moving again with a happy laugh.

"Wow this looks really nice," he said, looking at the food for the first time, then looking at her sheepishly. "You really didn't have to go through the trouble."

"I wanted to! I-it's no bother, really." She was smiling at him like a fool, just so glad that he was there again, before remembering herself and saying, "Uh want something to drink?"

"Water would be fine, thanks for this it's really cool. And it looks great!"

Once they had their drinks they settled down to eat, Adrien remarking on the quality and making her blush shyly with the praise, claiming the credit belonged to her mother but he found a way to thank her anyways.

Marinette's eyes drifted over towards their sitting area with the TV, blankets and pillows and such in extra supply around so they could be comfortable. She was eager to start, mostly to see how excited Adrien would get, and she knew just how to get him going.

"Okay, so Windwaker. What do I need to know going in?"

His eyes widened a little, his fork halfway to his mouth before he gave her an adorable grin. He shoved the last of his food quickly between his teeth, swallowing and throwing his hands out in wide excited gestures.

"Okay! So there's a hero, cloaked in green and savior of the ages, his name is Link. Well-" he paused, suddenly deep in thought, before shaking his slightly damp blonde hair. "Okay well lore will sorta be explained in the intro, uh, how many games have you played before?"

Marinette was slow to reply, pulling into herself a little with a shy smile. "Not a lot really. Never any, like, fighting games."

His mouth dropped open, before snapping shut back into an excited grin. "Okay so starting from the ground up. We should just start, it will be easier to break down controls and stuff if you're playing it. You're going to really like it I know you are, are we going to be in the living room?"

She laughed a little at his enthusiasm, nodding and pointing at the TV. "Yeah, you can start putting it together if you want while I clean up."

The only thing powerful enough to stop the intensity of his nerdness was his need to be polite, stammering out, "Oh wait did you want help? I can help clean if you'd like you already made food I can-"

"Its fine Adrien," she cut him off, "you set up. I want to see it!"

He smiled at her again, saying excitedly, "You're gonna like it! I'll get it going!"

He darted off, taking his bag and setting it down by the TV. She watched him for a little, soaking in his eager joy before giggling to herself, turning around to get the plates away as quickly as possible. He was talking to her all the while, connecting wires and pulling out a controller, giving her vague hints about stuff that could happen to get her more excited. She hesitated, then cleaned the pan, not wanting to cause her mother trouble since she had been so helpful, and started putting everything away. Since it took her the extra few minutes, she looked up when she heard a triumphant "Yeah!' and the start of exciting adventurous music coming from her TV. You could see the logo for the game displayed prominently on the screen, a red boat with an elaborate figure head swaying in an invisible current while _gorgeous_ stylized islands flashed behind it. Adrien caught her eye, holding his arms wide and presenting the game like it was made of gold.

"Ready to be a hero of wind? Cause I am."

"Let's do it!"

Marinette rushed over, plopping down right in front of the TV and making grabby hands for the controller, which he happily relinquished. He too ignored the couch completely, sitting incredibly close by Marinette's side and quickly going over the buttons. 'I'm sitting this close so I can help her easily,' he rationalized weakly in his mind, choosing to ignore it and lean forward excitedly.

Marinette grinned at him before dramatically pressing the start button, the two of them cheering lamely when the screen faded into the menu and laughing at each other.

Adrien hovered, teaching her how to navigate the menu and pleased with how quickly she understood things, it was mostly all intuitive anyways. When she got to the part where she was meant to name the character she titled her head.

"I thought his name was Link?"

"Well it is, like in canon that's his name but when you play you can name him whatever you want."

"What do you name him?"

"Link," he laughed, shrugging his shoulders and smiling at her. "Nothing else ever seemed right."

"Link it is!"

She entered the name, and something warm and great settled in his heart. She wasn't shying away from him. He could tell she noticed his proximity, he had as well they were both aware of it, but they still didn't move. He could count the number of times she had stuttered since he arrived on one hand, and she was just as pumped to play the game as he was.

He had only just sat down, and he honestly never wanted to move again.

Marinette was an incredibly quick learner, and just the hilarious moments where she tried to master using the camera and moving at the same time was enough to floor him with laughter. He had removed his coat and earmuffs, keeping the light blue scarf that Marinette seemed to like and was leaning over her as she tried again.

"Look, like this! See? You're a seamstress! Doing a bunch of stuff at the same time will be like second nature to you."

His hands were on hers, he realized, the two of them holding the controller as he informed the way she used it. Her fingers were a little cold, and he realized his own were incredibly warm, heating hers a little the longer he stalled. He looked at their hands for a moment before blushing fiercely, about to pull away when she said, "L-like this?"

The camera jerked sharply, and he hesitated to take his hands away, instead continuing to show her. "More like this."

He could see how warm her face was, but he could also see the slight smile. Her fingers were warmer now, and with a small surge of humor he realized she was doing it on purpose.

He chuckled without really meaning too, prolonging the contact without really intending it, smirking in a way he hadn't expected. He didn't mind that she had tricked him, which surprised him. Shouldn't he mind?

No. He was teaching her how to play, there's nothing wrong with that.

After a little he did pull back, though they shared weight between their shoulders now in a comfortable way. Her camera control improved remarkably after that (suspicious suspicious) and she took to exploring the intro island with ease.

Once his nerves from the accidental hand holding had finally faded he found himself laughing constantly, always entertained by the way she decided to play.

"What about HERE!" she exclaimed, driving the character to dive through a row of pots and searching for a hole to crawl through. She was so paranoid of missing something good after Adrien had shown her the secret hundred rupee under the house.

She spent almost twenty minutes chasing pigs and making him wheeze with laughter, another ten staring at seagulls, another five splashing through the water. She was so intense about saving people, getting her weapon and charging fearlessly at the enemies with adorable battle cries. He was so wrapped up in it, not the game really, but her. The way she grinned devilishly as she did a jump strike, the way she giggled when at one point she decided she wanted to travel exclusively via backflips for a while, the way she gasped in horror when her virtual little sister was kidnapped. She stared at him with utter betrayal in his eyes because he SAID nothing bad happened to the sister he SAID. He had lied, obviously, and it took him getting up for a snack run to make her forgive him.

"I can't believe you would do that to my little sister Adrien," Marinette pouted while he was grabbing some chips and soda.

" _I_ didn't kidnap her! It was Ganon! It's not my fault, but I'll help you get her back."

"You better, she was so cute and nice up until she was literally snatched from a cliff by a giant bird."

He laughed, returning to the living room and placing their stash in front of them, backtracking before sitting to grab a large fluffy comforter from the couch as well as a mountain of pillows.

"Nice! Yeah set them up here," Marinette gestured behind her without looking away from the screen, engrossed in the dialogue with her in-game grandmother just before leaving the island.

"Isn't the grandma super guilt trippy?" he said, setting up the pillows so Marinette could lean backwards and then lounging beside her again.

"I know! Like, seriously grandma my little sister might be bird food, I _have_ to go."

Adrien laughed again along with Marinette, throwing the comforter over the two of them and pulling the snacks into the little cave beneath the blanket, setting in on their legs.

Occasionally to make her laugh Adrien would disappear beneath the blanket, sinking down to steal some of her food while she was caught up fighting some moblins or something. She would squeal and giggle, trying to push him away with her leg to save her pretzels but there was no stopping him, and he would pop up again with the bag grinning at her triumphantly.

When she arrived at a place called the forbidden fortress the two of them got very quiet, glued to the screen as Marinette guided their hero through the enemy infested rooms, totally weaponless and trying to find the prison cell the little sister was being kept in. They would both jump whenever they were almost spotted, Adrien back seat gaming whenever she would try and sneak past a gurad.

"You're too close he's gonna see you!"

"No he's not I've got this sh!"

"You're gonna get caught," he would tease, just _waiting_ for the guard to whirl around and catch her, but with a quick roll and a dash for the door she would clear the room and he would cheer along with her.

"I told you I had it!"

"You did I'm sorry, I shouldn't have thought what happened the past three rooms in a row would happen _again_."

"Oh sh! I did it didn't I?"

He chuckled, sinking into their little fort of blankets and enjoying himself. He would pipe up to give her hints, tell her interesting facts about the game and how it was made, tell her things about the lore, or even just to distract her during a particularly stressful combat portion. She was so cute while she played, the controller clutched close to her chest, leaning whatever direction it was she wanted the character to dodge, and letting out a little "Hiyah!" whenever she would attack. He couldn't help it after a while, he was eventually just as goofy about it as she was. They gave voices to the characters and had long running jokes that made them double over wheezing anytime they brought it up. At one point Marinette earned the nickname Pearhead because of her obsessive use of the pear item in the game that let you fly around as a seagull.

They had been laughing till they had tears in their eyes at some terrible joke they had made when they heard someone come upstairs, greeting them as they walked in.

Tom was grinning at what he found, delighted to see that the kids were having fun. Adrien and Marinette were side by side, wrapped up in a big blanket with snacks scattered around, looking absolutely adorable. With the huge Christmas tree in the corner, lights twinkling in the window, and the snow falling outside it looked like a typical holiday commercial about Christmas morning.

Adrien looked a little caught out, not sure how to react now that someone else was there, so Tom was quick to jump in.

"This looks fun! Are you two enjoying yourselves?"

"Yes papa, look at this!" Marinette called her father over, doing a quick run around of the island they were currently on. "Isn't this game beautiful? It's from a series called the Legend of Zelda that Adrien really likes, it's amazing!"

"Y-yeah!" Adrien laughed, trying to regain his cool. "I like it a lot."

"I know this series," Tom spoke up, earning shocked looks from the both of them. "The original ones, like the Adventure of Link. Those came out when I was about your age, I remember playing them and loving them. I sort of got out of touch as I got older but I'd recognize that green clad hero anywhere!"

He looked down at Adrien whose mouth was open in shock, and he suddenly felt like he was the coolest dad ever. Poor lad, he probably hadn't ever had an adult relate to something he enjoys before. In fact from the way Adrien clammed up when he had first walked in the boy was probably expecting to be scolded for one reason or another.

"Running low on snacks? Business is a little slow today, I can go out and get you something if you like."

"Oh no we're okay Dad, thanks though! If we need something we can get it." Marinette smiled up at her father, letting out a little yelp as her character accidently fell into the ocean due to her lack of focus.

"Smooth," Adrien chuckled, earning a soft punch in the arm.

Tom stood up, stepping a little away before pulling out his phone. He had another mission besides checking on them.

"Hey kids!" he called, getting their attention. "I'm getting a picture. Smile!"

It took Adrien a second to react, but then he was smiling happily. At first it was a professional smile, one he was used to giving when a camera was pointed at him, but then Marinette had twisted her body and was leaning into him with a slight blush, grinning up at him. For a second he just blinked, before his face felt a little hot and a giggle slipped out, reaching out to hold Marinette before smiling genuinely up at her father.

Tom took the photo, giving the two of them a thumbs up while he checked how it looked. Marinette was in front, her body turned the face the camera, leaning into Adrien behind her. His arms were around her, his chin resting on her head as they both grinned with slightly warm faces. The blanket was twisted around them, tying them together, and the decorated Christmas tree shined behind brightly behind them. Snow fell in every window all around them, and it was one of the sweetest photos Tom had ever seen.

He showed the kids who both nodded in approval, Adrien chuckling a little at how admittedly intimate it looked, but once again not really minding. Marinette was blushing, and she suddenly asked with a smirk, "Hey dad. Did Alya tell you to take that?"

"Yes, apparently she was waiting on you and got impatient." Tom laughed happily, sending the picture to her daughter's friend and leaving to go show Sabine. Adrien settled back into the pillows, looking up at Mari.

"Alya feeling left out?"

"Yeah," she giggled, "but I'm sure that will keep her happy."

They fell back into it, lost in the fantastic adventure, and a little lost in each other. Adrien's eyes were drawn to the movement in the window after a while, watching the flurry of snow as it piled on the windows, coating the world in a gentle white. Then he looked over to Marinette, curled up in the blankets and staring with wide eyes at the TV. He wasn't sure how he had gotten there, so warm and happy, allowed to be himself. Surrounded by so much good. Good smells from the bakery and the fresh pine of the tree, good feelings of warmth and joy, good company of a sweet enthusiastic girl. He wanted to stay there, watching the snow and listening to Marinette's cheerful babbling. Maybe if he tried hard enough, wanted it enough, then time would halt and he could stay forever. He had never wanted something more.

They were both utterly surprised when Tom called up the stairs and said "Marinette! The shipment is here!"

Adrien choked a little on the soda he was drinking grabbing his phone to check the time. "Is it really one already?"

"Oh god I totally lost track of time. I've gotta go help I'll be back."

"Wait I'll help! It will go faster that way," Adrien scrambled to his feet just as she did, the two of them using the other as a support while they unraveled the blanket from themselves.

"You don't have-"

"I want to! Honestly, your parents have been so nice I want to help out, I'll follow your lead."

Marinette hesitated for a moment, but saw he was genuinely eager to lend a hand with something as simple as unloading a truck. After a little she sighed, propping her hands on her hips and smiling at him.

"Okay, thank you. Let's go."

She took off, grabbing her coat as she darted down the stairs, Adrien mimicking the action and following her down, still stepping back into his shoes as he stumbled down the last few steps. He followed her through the back of the bakery, finding her parents already waiting by a large open back door, snow drifting in and melting almost instantly on the warm tile floor.

"Watch your step, it is a little slippery," Tom warned, turning to see Adrien as well and grinning at him. "Here to help Adrien? You don't have to!"

"No I want to sir, it's no problem really. Point me in the right direction!"

Tom laughed heartily, ignoring any need of a jacket and leading the kids out into the snow. Sabine had stepped out ahead of them, huddling in a sweater and scarf as she chatted with the driver of the truck. The huge loader was pulled up straight to the door, filled with endless bags of this or that, anything you'd need to run a bakery. Adrien hesitated, waiting for Marinette to move first and watching her clamber into the truck. He started in surprise when she deadlifted a massive bag of flour, the thing must have been eighty pounds! Not only did the weight of it seem to go totally unnoticed by her, but she carried it so easily that she jumped down from the truck and walked into the bakery without missing a step. Tom caught Adrien staring at her with a shocked expression and said, "Doesn't look the part huh? She could lift _me_ if she wanted, strongest girl I know."

Not to be outdone Adrien jumped up into the truck, stacking two bags and lifting them with a smile, making Tom bark out a laugh. "You're strong too then! Well don't overdo it, don't want you getting hurt."

"Yes sir!" he said with a gin, jumping down from the truck and taking his load inside. He had just dumped them off inside and was walking back towards the truck when he heard the driver call back to Tom.

"Hey you've got an extra pair of hands around this time, what did you adopt another kid?"

Tom paused with his own two bags of flour, smiling and shouting back, "Why yes I did, I have a new son! His name is Adrien, isn't he nice?" Tom laughed heavily, Sabine joining in as the large man walked inside to deposit his burden.

Adrien kept moving forward mechanically, climbing into the truck and totally lost in the innocent quip. He was smiling, even through his dazed state he was smiling with joy at the remark. It was just a joke, it was simple, meant for a laugh, but it made him so incredibly happy to be included in the warm little dynamic found in the bakery.

The only other person in the truck was Marinette and she seemed to understand, smiling softly over her shoulder as she crouched to pick up another bag. "They really like you," she said softly, walking past him with the bag slung over her shoulder.

She said nothing more, hopping down to continue unloading and leaving Adrien some time to slowly recover. When he finally did find the power to work again, it was at double the pace, eager to help in any way he could. If there was anything he could do to make life easier for the bakers he would do it, no doubt about it.

It took a while, but eventually the truck was unloaded and the two kids worked side by side to organize the new stock in the storage.

"Thanks for helping Adrien," Marinette eventually spoke up, sorting through a list of materials. She looked up at him with a grin as he climbed through the racks, shifting things around to fit the next bag. "It really is going much faster with both of us working."

"Well we make a good team," he said with a smirk, catching her blush and snicker when he looked back at her. "I have to say," he continued, distracted by the way she had rolled the sleeves of her shirt up, "you are _way_ stronger than I took you for. Did that come from just lifting all these bags in the bakery?"

Her arms were tone and strong in a way he had never noticed before, but it totally showed whenever she would lift and move something. His point was proven when she tossed a sack onto the middle rack against the wall like it was nothing, her eyes glowing with playful confidence.

"Yeah…" she answered slowly, smiling about something he could only guess at. "That and I work out a lot. I tend to be active."

"Me as well," he announced, not so subtly hanging from the rack by one arm. When she quirked an eyebrow at him he only smirked, doing one armed pull ups without breaking eye contact until she snorted with laughter.

"Show off," she laughed, rolling her eyes and returning to her work, Adrien dropping down next to her to read over her shoulder.

"Looks like we've stacked everything," Adrien said cheerfully, looking around to confirm they had gotten what they needed to. "Do you mind if I go take a call in your room? I missed one from Natalie while we were working."

Marinette turned to look up at him with wide eyes, saying quickly, "Are you in trouble?"

He pursed his lips and shrugged, taking out his phone to look at the two missed calls from a few minutes ago.

"No clue, I should probably call back though."

She nodded, her brow furrowed slightly. "Yeah you can use my room, no problem."

He thanked her, patting her on the shoulder as he passed and jogging up towards her incredibly pink bedroom. He unlocked his phone as he headed up, pushing call just as he opened the hatch and waiting with slight unease for someone to answer.

"Adrien," Natalie's voice sounded by way of greeting, her tone making his heart sink a little. Didn't sound good.

"Hey Nat, I'm sorry I missed your call I was helping a friend. What did you need?"

The boy stood in the middle of the room, looking out a circle window behind the lounge at the slowly falling snow, Christmas lights cheerfully twinkling somewhere nearby.

His day was so nice, so happy and fun. If he could drop the phone and ignore whatever she said next he would, but he knew he couldn't.

"It's about your father," she stated robotically, trying to mask something almost like regret in her voice with cold professionalism. "He wanted me to let you know that… due to some circumstances with the company he- he's sorry to say but he won't be here for the holidays."

The line was quiet.

To the world, very little had changed. Snow still fell, the lights still shined, but for Adrien it was all instantly… less. His grip on the phone softened, his eyelids drooping as his gaze dropped to the floor. What he hated most was the sudden hollowness in his chest, and how clearly he recalled the familiarity of hope fizzling out.

He should have guessed, honestly. He shouldn't have taken it seriously. He had been stupid, genuinely believing his father would take the time. When had he ever? Why would this time be any different?

Natalie was still talking, trying to explain the situation so he would understand but her words lacked any kind of substance. She didn't believe the words she was saying, weaving an excuse she probably hadn't even been given to explain why a father wouldn't see his son. Gabriel probably hadn't even told her why, just told her to call and notify his son.

"Thank you for letting me know," he said suddenly, cutting her off with an emotionless voice. She started to say something else, but he hung up, letting his hand drop to the side and standing still in the center of the room.

He wasn't sure what he felt. It was cold, and numb. And… angry. A chilling kind of anger that was bitter and sharp like frostbite. He felt so childish, like a stupid little kid running after his father with a pathetic drawing, begging for approval. For attention. For anything at all, even for him to just _fucking_ _ **look at him**_.

How utterly… pathetic.

He felt his knees shake, suddenly almost collapsing with his weight but he stiffened and held his ground. How much more was he willing to make a fool of himself? Curling up and crying in a room like a damn infant. Hadn't he already proven his idiocy, daring to believe the only constant of his life might change just this once? That his father might care? What had he been expecting? His father to give him a gift and a clap on the shoulder, a warm smile as he said "Merry Christmas Son," had he really been that stupid?

What the hell did he need any of that for, he had done fine on his own. And he would do it again. And again and again and a hundred times over and suddenly his knees shook again.

He hated it. He hated how much if affected him. It made him feel even weaker, because even after all this time he was still hoping for _something_.

He sat down on the lounge, his head in his hands and phone clattering to the ground, hating how he still hoped. Hating how he hoped that maybe just once, he wouldn't be alone when Christmas came around.

Ha…

How quickly he forgot.

He felt her hand on his knee before he even noticed the time that passed, gentle and comforting and so very _her_. Some small part of his brain realized with the ache of his hands that he must have been there for some time, angry tears he never noticed staining his fingers. She must have come up… looking for him, wondering why he never came back. And even when she saw him there, his phone discarded on the ground and the weight of his head numbing his hands she didn't press, didn't demand answers. She just offered the gentle pressure of her hand on his knee, and the deep genuine concern in her eyes when he finally managed to look up at her.

They stared at each other for another stretch of time he couldn't measure, until in a thick and husky voice he found himself telling her what happened.

There wasn't a filter, or any kind of doubt that she should know. He just told her, the water in her eyes chipping away at the numbness he felt in his chest, the warmth of her hand soothing the ragged edges of his disappointment.

When he had finished he watched her carefully, the cold anger he felt burning in his throat. It wasn't the kind of anger that ranted, just the kind that burned icily until you couldn't speak at all.

But even when his words failed him she spoke, and that cold inside him halted, listening.

"Stay."

There was silence, and he watched her, stunned at how… powerful Marinette's eyes suddenly became.

The small girl was crouched on the ground, her hair messy from the labor of unloading the truck, her face set in unshakeable sincerity.

"Stay here Adrien, for Christmas. Please say you will."

The boy felt shock, piercing through the cold and numbness to leave him stunned, drawing back a little in his seat on the lounge. He was so alert, soaking in every detail in an effort to understand.

Snow lay piled in every window, falling flakes visible in the weak clouded sunlight and gentle shine of persistently cheery store fronts nearby. The pink of her walls was dulled with the lack of artificial light, the two teens in a relative dim with only what light managed to make it from outside to show each other their faces.

And Marinette stared at him, offering him what she could, wanting him to smile.

"We want you too," she spoke again, leaning towards him as she did. "My parents, me. I want you here, I won't let you be alone. No more lonely Christmas nights…"

He felt the building of tears this time, fighting them back as he bowed his head. His voice was heavy and so entirely unsure that it broke Marinette's heart.

"I- I can't… It's not my place."

"Yes it is."

She caught one of his hands and he looked at her with a jolt, pain and… something else written on his face.

Her smile was so soft, and so steady. It made him want to say yes, to hope for a proper Christmas all over again.

God… had he really not learned his lesson… Was he really so ready to trust again?

' _She's different'_ he thought, looking at her hands holding his. ' _She really is offering. She's genuine. That's just how she is.'_

"We want you to stay," she said again, emphasizing the fact that she spoke on behalf of her family as well. She knew it was true, she knew they wouldn't want him spending Christmas alone just as much as her.

She held his hand without any hesitation, absolutely confident in everything she was offering. When Adrien was right there in front of her… so unsure…

There was no room for uncertainty, and she waited with patience.

It felt like it took forever, each second ticking into the next as Adrien felt the true weight of her hands, the warmth of her fingers. It sounded… so impossibly perfect. He could see it, watching cheesy movies, playing Windwaker until Christmas Eve bled into Christmas while Marinette insisted on back flipping _everywhere_ all over again. The way her parents talked to him… it would be easy. He wouldn't feel like an outsider at all, he would fit right in, like nothing was out of place.

…

He wouldn't be alone…

He looked at her, really looked at her… the sweet, genuine girl who offered him a place to be. And even with all the heaviness in his heart…

he smiled.

"O-okay…" he finally said, a breathy bodiless laugh shaking free from his chest. "I'll stay."

She laughed too, quietly. Relieved. She watched his face and knew that sadness was still there, but maybe… maybe there was something like peace there too.

"It's gonna be fun," she spoke softly, keeping holding of his hand and ignoring the skip of her heart when he returned the gentle pressure. "You can hear all my dad's stupid reindeer jokes and taste my mom's cooking for Christmas dinner. Her proper cooking, not quick stuff like eggs, it's like nothing you've ever had. And we can watch movies and play games and stuff and have fun. It's gonna be great, I can even make you a stocking."

He laughed a little louder at the last one, his eyes fixing on the flash of gold hanging from her neck, tracking the bell as it moved. "I've never had a stocking before."

"Well that will be the first thing we fix," she said with cheer in her voice, almost begging him to smile again. "I'm warning you now, as soon as I tell my parents they are going to go buy you presents, you won't be able to stop them."

His thoughts turned to Sabine and her powerful mothering gene and knew what Marinette said was true. There would be no stopping her.

"I can get them stuff too then," he added, his voice a little stronger now. "You'll have to help me shop."

"We can go look now if you want," she offered, squeezing his hand a little in a comforting way. "Or did you want to keep playing Windwaker?"

"C-can we just stay here for a little? Just a little more. I'll be fine in a minute…"

He was surprised at how easily he said it, practically admitting weakness like it was nothing at all. But she did exactly as he expected, smiling gently and nodding her head, settling her weight on her legs to wait as long as he needed.

That's just the sort of girl she was.

She moved to release his hand but he didn't let her, holding the contact and earning another gentle smile. He didn't have it in him to question it, to wonder or worry. He just liked the way it felt, and she seemed to understand it.

"Just let me know when you're ready," she breathed the words, heating his hand in hers and hoping to melt the ice she had seen in his eyes. It seemed to be working, a whimsical smirk gracing his face.

"Thanks… Pearhead."

They laughed together and then lapsed into silence, Adrien working to steady his emotions, and Marinette prepared to wait as long as it would take for him to smile easily again. With her hands holding his though… he had a feeling she wouldn't have long to wait.

 **((Ooooh! Adrien is staying for Christmas Eve and Christmas itself! Wonder how that's gonna be, considering Cat Noir and Ladybug will be meeting just before then. Thank you all for the amazing support! Has everyone seen the fanart of the selfie because YOU SHOULD HOLY HELL. Sorry for some cursing in this chapter btw, but it seemed to fit. Thank you to everyone who has drawn stuff for this, I absolutely love it!))**


	5. Chapter 5

Adrien was glad he had made the suggestion of playing more video games instead of shopping once he was back on his feet a little, because he had given himself the excuse of another fantastic day. He didn't want to push too much, he didn't want her to get annoyed but he just couldn't stay away. It sounded weird, and maybe a little clingy too but her home was just so warm and nice and _she_ was just so warm and nice that leaving to go back home was horrible. Even the snow felt different. If he was walking with her it was amazing, whimsical as well as festive and bright. When he was alone it was mostly just cold, and yeah he still liked it but…he liked it better with a friend.

'With her,' his mind added more specifically, but he blocked it out with another irritated huff, his third that day. Certainly the last though, because he remembered with an ecstatic grin that he was going to see her _again_ , the day before Christmas Eve, to go Christmas shopping for her parents.

He had wanted to go see her earlier, wanting to return to the bakery the second he had been forced to leave the night before, but there was an insanely dull festive photo spread to be done and it had taken the entire morning. Now it was almost 3 PM and he was eager to be off, still riding the giddy high that came with the realization that he was going Christmas shopping for Marinette's parents because he was _spending Christmas with them_.

He paused in his preparation to leave, an involuntary frown settling on his face. His hands fell from their outstretched positions to grab his coat off his bed and he was forced to recall the crushing disappointment of his father's dismissal, and the cold anger that came with it.

It still stung, of course it did, having to go back to his father's house where the man had already left for work he refused to elaborate on. Seeing the big empty halls and the cheap meaningless tree just made him angry.

"You're gonna need this, Adrien, it's cold!"

Plagg's voice broke him from the encroaching numbness and he looked down, seeing the black kwami doing his best to drag the heavy coat from the bed by the sleeve. Despite his rapidly failing mood the sight made him laugh and he moved forward to help, grabbing the black coat into his hands and sliding it on. It was funny, honestly, how literal the feeling of the coat weighed on his mood, in a good way. It was heavy and warm and hugged him just right, and with a smile he realized it smelled like bread.

He didn't care how it looked to Plagg, or if he would be teased, but he quickly pulled the coat tight and buried his nose in it, the smile growing wider as he did. To his surprise Plagg made no move to make fun of him or say something suggestive about the shy baker's daughter, but looked rather pleased instead. Plagg gave himself a satisfied nod before whizzing forward to settle into Adrien's pocket, glad that his plan had worked as he intended. He knew the boy was recalling how empty the house was it was written plain on his face, so he had moved quickly to counter those thoughts with recollections of a house that _wasn't_ empty, and of the girl who waited for him there.

'You're not alone, you doofus,' Plagg thought to himself, his irritation laced with fondness, 'you got us. Me and Ladybug and Tikki too, though you don't know. So stop moping already, she's waiting.'

With the weight of the coat came fond memories of the night before, of the dinner Tom had insisted on taking everyone to. It was like a dream, Adrien was almost embarrassed at how surreal it was to him. The only reference he had for this kind of thing came from TV shows and movies, it had never really struck him as something _real_ that _real_ families did. He grinned when he remembered Tom's playful jab, calling up the stairs saying "Get away from that TV and pretend you like your dad! We're heading to dinner, so let's go!"

They had rubbed the sting of way too much game binging from their eyes and realized it was almost 7:30 PM. They had been at it for AGES and it was perfect. Adrien had felt something he could hardly name when he ran downstairs with Marinette, met with the determined eyes of her parent's and being almost startled by it.

"Bundle up sweetie, it's cold," Sabine had cooed, pulling Adrien's scarf a little tighter before repeating the action for Marinette.

"The car is around this way, Adrien," Tom had said with a smile, putting a hand on his shoulder and guiding him through the back. "Hope you don't mind, Sabine's called permanent shot gun."

It had started the second Marinette had vanished from her room to notify her parent's to the change of plans, and it had made him feel…was there even a word? Grateful, he was tempted to try, but that was way too mild. _Indebted_ sounded better, because when he had finally found the steadiness to make his way back to the living room after the phone call Sabine had hugged him tightly without saying a word, and he had felt all at once all the warmth of a parent and it was almost overwhelming. Tom had stood behind her a short distance, but seemed to recognize how at his limit Adrien was and instead tried to make him feel welcome in another fashion.

"What does a reindeer do if they've lost their tail?"

Adrien had blinked, looking over Sabine's shoulder before pulling away and giving Tom an expectant smirk.

"What?"

"They go to a 're-tail' shop and buy another one!"

It was things like that, things that the two adults did to immediately welcome Adrien in, even more than before. The comment Tom had made after a few more bad reindeer jokes had nearly broken him, saying something like "You have fifteen years of those to catch up on, I figured I'd get started early" that had almost been too much, but luckily the tight knit family understood and the parents gave him space to soak it in, leaving him with Marinette until it was time for dinner that night.

Adrien shook himself back to the present, reminding himself that those same adults he was indebted to needed gifts and he was already running behind.

He looked around, spinning quickly and having to apologize to Plagg for jostling him before finally finding his phone on his desk.

'A- I'm on my way Mari sorry! Be there soon I swear!'

He jogged towards the door and quickly darted into the bathroom to check he looked alright, ignoring Plagg's snickers, and then bolted out the door, running through the house and out into the cold to head towards the bakery.

Adrien was talking aloud to Plagg as he cleared the front door and started running towards the gate, enjoying the crisp too blue sky and the giant clouds hanging above him. "I'll have to figure out what they like but Mari will be with me so I can just ask her opinion on everything but it has to be good I-"

He got to the gate, skidding to a stop in the thin layer of snow that had yet to be cleared by workers and gaping at the happily smiling girl in a cute red cap, a bell necklace hanging on her chest.

"I- Marinette!" he shouted, his legs jolting back into movement as he ran to her, throwing open the gate and ignoring the sting of freezing metal against his bare palms. He came to a halt a little ungracefully, having to twist his arms to stay standing and making her laugh, but he couldn't stop staring and definitely couldn't stop smiling. "What are you doing here?! I was just on my way!"

She giggled and the image was adorable, her arms curled up in her chest and her one hand bundled up in her scarf while the other held a thermos of some kind which she held out with pink in her cheeks.

"I wanted to walk you there cause y-you always run over and I wanted to make you something warm so uh- here you go!"

Adrien just stared at her for a moment, grinning like a fool before taking the thermos, turning the lid slightly to be greeted with warm chocolate smelling steam. "I can't believe you walked here just so we could walk together- and then this!" He held the thermos aloft, unable to help the happy giggle that slipped out. "You really are the best, have I told you that yet?"

He liked the way her eyes still widened a little and how she still turned a little red, but she managed to smirk back and say, "You can keep saying it if you like."

They shared a laugh for a moment, Adrien about to take a drink when she asked, "By the way, who were you talking to?"

He froze, the thermos still just in front of his lips when he panicked and said around it, "Uh, my cat."

He lowered the cup so he could see, trying to smile and play it off but she gave a quizzical tilt of the head.

"A cat? I thought you weren't allowed to have pets."

"Uh… uh well- you know with cats," he laughed awkwardly, trying to get out of it as he started walking, only moving forward to keep her from looking for it. "They don't really have to be yours to be around! It's uh, a cat from one of the houses nearby I think, yeah. It wanders in and I pet it… sometimes."

She was still staring at him, wondering after his fidgety reaction but tried to be casual to put him at ease.

"That's nice… uh, what color is it?"

"Oh it's black, all the best cats are," he couldn't resist saying, relaxing a little with his semi-believable lie.

She snorted and shook her head, and he realized her hair was down. He hadn't noticed at first because of the beanie and scarf but it fell down in a dark curtain, weaving into the red knit. Perhaps it was that visual coupled with the fact that she reached up to toy with the bell around her neck absentmindedly that made his breath skip, breaking from its normal rhythm just enough for him to notice. He tore his eyes away quickly and focused on the sidewalk ahead, his hands curling around the warmth of the thermos as he tried not to dwell on what _that_ was.

He knew, how could he not? To say that she didn't look beautiful with her hair down would just be blatantly disregarding a fact. Admitting she was pretty wasn't a problem, he knew she was pretty. It was very hard _not_ to know she was pretty, and had been getting increasingly more difficult as time went on. It was something he realized with slight irritation. The problem with that was he was going to spend the next two days in incredibly close proximity with her, even closer than before, and he was not about to be some disrespectful teen boy and start looking at her when he was _literally_ going to be sleeping at her house. He refused to undermine their friendship when she was being more kind and supportive than anyone he had ever known…he wasn't about to give her anything less than a perfect gentleman just because she had the habit of being a little distracting at times.

She giggled gently as she saw a couple swinging their young son between them on the sidewalk just ahead and he drilled his resolution into his mind again, ignoring the pretty ring of the sound and how suddenly light it made his heart feel. Or maybe it was the hot chocolate. Or the gesture, or just her really. Ugh…she had to make it hard. Even then, though, his frustrated thoughts brought a smile to his face.

"You look really nice with your hair down, Marinette," he said suddenly, grinning at her even as he practically screamed internally. So are we just going to go ahead and throw all that 'gentleman' stuff out the window right off the bat? Good, of course, well done.

Her lips parted slightly in surprise, a light pink dusting her cheeks as she giggled again, looking up at him as they walked with a happy smile. "Thank you! I always think I should do it more often but never do."  
Okay, that was good. She wasn't falling apart or stuttering even at all anymore, she looked flattered definitely but he hadn't made her gasp.

He felt another spark of irritation at the fact he was little disappointed.

They kept walking, trudging through the snow together in peaceful silence and he couldn't really feel frustrated. Keeping up any kind of sharp or uncomfortable emotion was hard with moments like this, just pacing through the snow with his friend and trading the warm thermos between them. It was… strange, and amazing. Even when his brain was trying to self-destruct and his emotions were trying to sabotage him, after enough time and enough gentle smiles and enough happy laughs he couldn't help but feel at ease. It was like no matter how hard he tried to ruin this for himself he couldn't do it, it couldn't be ruined, because no matter how many unsure thoughts he had and unstable emotions that rose to the surface he would still be walking leisurely through the snow with Marinette… and that made everything okay.

"This isn't the way is it?" he finally spoke up, noticing that their path diverged from what he expected, Marinette making a sudden left down a snowy side street.

"Well, not to the bakery," she responded over her shoulder, "but I figured since I went and met you we could just head straight to the shops! They are only going to be open for so much longer, a lot of the shop owners are going out of town tonight for Christmas Eve tomorrow."

Oh that was right, no one was bound to be open for much longer and he was _not_ going to walk in empty handed. "Alright so, presents for your parents. What would they like? I can even order wine for them as long as I have it delivered in my dad's name."

Something about that made her laugh, the girl bouncing giddily as they wove their way into a commercial district. "Well you won't have to worry about that, I wouldn't know what they like anyways. No my dad is simple, get him something goofy and he'll love it to death. And my mom, she just likes thoughtful things, something that you had to consider a little bit before getting."

Marinette looked up when Adrien didn't immediately respond, smiling when she saw how deeply concentrated he looked.

"Don't stress Adrien, it's nice of you to get them anything at all."

"You—all of you," he blurted out, his hands suddenly lurching out in front of him in wild gestures. "You're all so—you're so amazing, your whole family, and I just want to do it right. I want them to like it but I don't know them too well and I've only been at your house the past few days and—"

"Adrien."

Her soft voice cut him off, his breath a little uneven from his agitation when he met her eyes. And when he did he suddenly felt that much calmer, her gentle smile forcing his unease away once again.

"They are going to love it, whatever you get. So don't worry okay? You don't owe us anything."

He laughed at the last bit, shaking his head in stunned disbelief as they pulled to a stop in front of a cheery store.

"Don't owe you anything? That's totally unreal, I owe you _everything,_ Marinette! I—you—you've made me feel so welcome and it's only been a few days it's just—I…" he trailed off, trying to pull the words out of the air and looking anywhere but her. "I'm really grateful…that you've done this for me. Just…even these as well," he used one hand to hold out the thermos and loosely gesture to the girl as a whole while the other gripped his jacket protectively. The action made her mouth for a little 'o' and her eyes shine with joy.

Silence stretched between them as it suddenly became important to him to thank her all over again, repeating the earnest words for maybe the dozenth time. He held the thermos tighter, looking at the air just above Marinette.

"I really appreciate this…spending Christmas with you. You make me feel like I'm a part of things and it means a lot to me…so thank you."

He still didn't look down at her, but he saw the flash of red from the corner of his eye as she moved forward, wrapping herself around his middle so suddenly it made him jump a little in surprise.

"I'm glad I get to spend Christmas with you too, Adrien."

The words were muffled against his chest when she said them, but she pulled back so he could hear her more clearly when she spoke again, her cheeks red and eyes shining. "You deserve to have a nice Christmas."

There it was again, her telling him he deserved something nice. She had said it about him before, about Cat Noir when she bought that little golden bell. Seeing it flash against her chest now made it sound even better in his ears, because she truly believed it. Even about the side of his she didn't even know.

"Thanks Mari…" he said quietly, smiling at her and reaching out to place his free hand on her shoulder, guiding her inside. "I-I guess we should start looking huh?"

"Yeah," she said back, her voice equally as withdrawn but a smile still on her face. "I'm sure we can find something for my dad here."

Adrien paced briskly before his windows, traversing the length of his room again and again as his heart beat erratically against his rib cage. It was almost pitch black in his room, none of the lights were on and clouds bearing snow blotted out the moon and stars of the night sky outside. He didn't need to see though, he would be leaving soon regardless. Leaving was what had him so tense in the first place.

"What are you freaking out about?" Plagg's voice cut through the darkness and made Adrien stop in his tracks, a grimace settling on his face. "It's Ladybug, you see her all the time."

Hearing her name made his heart just that much more frantic in its pace, and his feet were practically begging him to be in motion again from his nerves. Adrien grit his teeth however, forcing himself to be still.

"I've never given her something like this before," he spoke, his gaze zeroing in on the glowing green eyes of his Kwami floating nearby. "It's a gift she—I'm sure she won't refuse it but I don't know if it's too much she might—what if she thinks I'm making a move on her so she doesn't take it?"

"Well _aren't_ you making a move on her?" Plagg supplied unhelpfully, his eyes rolling to express his disinterest since it was the only part of him that was visible.

Adrien scoffed, but didn't answer. He wasn't entirely sure, he mostly just wanted her to like it. But what if she didn't? He was in motion again.

"You keep pacing and it's gonna give me a headache. Let's just _go_ , she'll be waiting for us at this rate."

"I-I know just, give me a second, Plagg."

"You've had all day!"

Adrien sighed, coming to a stop again and fiddling with the small black box in his coat pocket. He had had all day. And he had been nervous about it all day as well. Well most of the day.

The gift exchange had been on his mind all through the photoshoot, and all through dinner and all the rest of the night up until just now when he really should be on his way. His time that day with Marinette shopping through town had been a fantastic distraction but she had turned down the offer to hang out after they had a quick dinner together in a café.

"I have something I need to do tonight and should probably be available," she had answered evasively, smiling and giving him a hug before running inside, the chime of the bakery door in his face ringing in the return of his panic. He had something he needed to do as well, and it involved a small black box on a rooftop in Paris.

Now that he was right in the face of it though his nerves made him jumpy and fidgety, wanting her to like the gift, not wanting it to be too much. Making her smile meant so much to him it always had, and he could see two very clear images of what might happen.

Option A, Ladybug glared at the box, glared at him, and handed it back to him with a roll of the eyes. It was unlikely, since something so abrasive wasn't totally in her nature, but the thought of it made him unable to sit still. Option B she gasped, picking up the piece of jewelry in her fingers and stared at it with wide blue eyes. She might mutter something about him being silly, spending so much on her, insisting he return it but clutching it in a way that betrayed her desire to keep it. He would smile, folding her fingers around it and say in a charming tone, "Merry Christmas, my lady."

Option B was so much nicer…he could only hope that's what happened.

"You can't delay forever, Adrien," Plagg said with a huff, whizzing into his face and making the boy flinch.

Adrien glared at the small cat but conceded with a sigh, placing the box in the couch so it didn't get swept up in the transformation.

"Yeah…okay, let's just go, we're going to be late."

" _Finally,_ " Plagg groaned, already heading towards the ring before Adrien had even activated it.

Cat Noir soared through night, the festive lights decorating the city its main source of illumination since the moon lay shrouded behind heavy clouds. Snow fell around him as he ran, his suit keeping him at least somewhat warm as he leapt and bounded his way towards his and Ladybug's typical meeting place. The black box was tucked safely away in his pocket, but it felt like it weighed a million pounds and he was constantly aware of it as he ran. He was being stupid; it was just a necklace but just the _thought_ of her actually wearing a necklace with a little black cat and ladybug on it made him so giddy he was almost disgusted with himself. He needed to get a grip…he was almost there.

There was a certain eager tightness in his chest, his mind whirling as he thought of what his lady might have gotten him. He twisted and sprang, sliding across the icy tiles and landing on their usual rooftop, his heart skipping when he saw the flash of red in the sea of swirling white. She had beaten him there.

"Merry Christmas, Cat Noir!" she called out to him, Ladybug stood at the far end of the roof with a bag in her hands. He skipped a little when he ran over to her, his eyes darting from her beautiful joyful smile to the bag she held and back again. A gift, a gift for him.

"Merry Christmas, my lady," he greeted her with a grin, coming to stand before her with his hand already twitching towards his pocket. "I came _dashing through the snow_ just to come and meet you."

"Christmas puns?" she laughed, reaching a little towards her bag, "Oh I know you'll like this then. But first." She surprised him by gesturing for him to follow, and his hand faltered on its way to retrieve the necklace, instead trailing after her to the side of the building and seeing something pushed up against the raised edge. "I brought you something else as well."

She bent down, settling into a kneeling position and pulling up a thickly wrapped Tupperware box. In the dark snowy night the heat when she popped the lid made a tiny white cloud and with a smile she held out freshly baked snickerdoodle cookies, made especially for him.

"Oh my lady!" he exclaimed, falling to his knees and reaching out for the box as she took a few for herself. He peered inside at them and quickly snatched one up, sealing it shut again to preserve the heat and biting into it before saying anything else. She had made him cookies, just for him, on a rooftop just as the night was about to tick into Christmas Eve. Was there anything more amazing?

"These are fantastic! Did you make them yourself? So sweet of you! I knew you loved me but so much!"

The heroine blinked at him before laughing heartily, giving him a playful scowl before shaking her head. "Just eat your cookies before I hit you, alley cat."

"If you insist!"

The cat dived back into the box, popping another three cookies into his mouth until it was so full he could hardly chew. With his cheeks so puffed out and trails of crumbs on his face Ladybug just started to laugh, rocking her weight on her heels until she eventually just sat down in the snow beside him, looking up into the sky to watch the snow fall around her.

"You're silly, Cat Noir."

"I'm _your_ silly Cat Noir," he tried to say flirtatiously, but the words were muffled by cookies and it just made her giggle. The sound made him almost choke on the crumbs, his eyes widening a little as he looked at her, the slender lines of her neck stretched as she looked up into the sky.

He hadn't heard her giggle much before.

"Are you—" he swallowed, taking a second to clear his throat, "are you all set up to have a nice Christmas, my lady?"

"The best," she responded immediately, dropping her head to give him a cheerful grin, "best I've ever had I'm sure."

The way she smiled at him, so elevated by her good mood made his heart race all over again, the smile he gave her in return absolutely effortless. "I'm very glad to hear that. I have to admit," his eyes trailed down to the half full box of cookies in his claws, a smirk on his face, "imagining you in a kitchen with a little festive apron on making me cookies makes me insanely happy."

He half expected her to scoff but she just laughed again, saying, "Well it's a special occasion kitten, so enjoy them."

There was a small stretch of pleasant silence between them as he wordlessly offered her another cookie, the two of them sharing them and looking over the edge of the building at the happily twinkling lights that filled the street.

"What about you, Cat?" she finally asked, "Set up to have a nice holiday?"

She turned to watch his face carefully, seeing how it almost… softened, a smile pulling at his lips as his eyes focused on something in the distance, perhaps the direction of his home?

There was no way for either of them to know, but it was actually in the direction of her bakery, Cat Noir's thoughts suddenly filled with the warm home.

"The best I've ever had, I'm sure," he echoed her, turning to grin at her and taking a deep breath.

"I have a gift for you, my lady."

Ladybug smiled, pulling the bag she had set beside her into her lap. "I've got one for you too, bet you you're gonna like it."

"I bet I will," he laughed, fighting against his nerves as he reached into his pocket, hesitating to pull it out. "Before you hit me, it isn't a ring."

She raised an eyebrow at first, but as soon as she saw the tiny black box she understood why an explanation was necessary. She really might have hit him if he was going to pull some stupid stunt and propose or something.

She couldn't help but notice that he was sort of tense though when he handed it to her, so she offered him a sweet smile that seemed to make him relax a little.

"As long as you don't say 'Marry me, Ladybug' I see no reason to throw you off the roof," she chuckled, giving him a wink and handing him the bag. He took it eagerly, and she giggled softly at how easily his nervousness was overridden by his excitement. Such a child…it was sort of cute though.

There wasn't a count down or anything so dramatic, signaling in the coming of some dramatic change… because it was utterly unexpected, and happened as unexpected things usually do.

All at once.

She pinched the lid of the small box gently between her fingers and pulled it back at much the same time that Cat lifted his sweater gingerly from the bag. There was the same sort of pacing for him to shift the cloth in his hands, looking down at the cheery Cat pun woven on its face, and for her eyes to trail over the intricate gem laden necklace nestled into the velvet casing.

It took about the same amount of time for the joke to register in Cat's mind as it did for Ladybug to suddenly tense, her grip on the box almost shaking as her eyes poured over the startlingly familiar piece of jewelry a hundred times in the span of a single second.

For Adrien, it was the equivalent of waiting for the pin to drop in the suddenly overwhelming silence, waiting for the final piece to click as he spread a gentle claw over the words he remembered a friend shaking her head at, and rolling her eyes.

'I've got a friend I need to get a gift for who would love it.' He remembered it slowly, hearing the words reverberate in his mind like someone calling to him from across a great cavern, almost inaudible. But when he heard them they got louder, closer, impossible to ignore. Impossible to ignore like everything else he had tried not to notice.

He didn't notice his hands were shaking, he didn't notice much at all besides her once he finally dragged his eyes to look at her. The look on her face as she stared at the necklace was practically confirmation, it was more of a confession that saying it could have ever been. He might have been able to rationalize himself out of it, the stall was public after all, and there were multiples of each sweater. It was totally possible she had just found it later but… her expression. There was nothing else it could be, no one else it could possibly be.

She recognized the necklace. He knew she did.

It was weird to see, it was like he was looking at something change, like a sign in a train station as all the times ticked over. The snow fell around her, and he realized he was afraid. What was he about to lose…was it everything? Was he going to lose them both? Lose _her_.

Her.

Oh god it was her.

" _Adrien_?"

She looked at him, her voice was so…impossibly soft. It was like the snow lightly piling up on every roof in the city had more of a voice than her, almost thunderous in comparison. Her eyes, they were…unreadable. Hearing his name fall out in a voice he _always should have known_ …

He was terrified.

"Oh my god," he breathed, the reality of it coming down on him, each time it was confirmed for him coming that much closer to shattering him entirely. And all he could think was 'please don't leave'.

He couldn't take it, if she left him now. Because it wouldn't just be Ladybug, it would be _her_ , all of her, and he would never be more alone.

Marinette still held the necklace in her hand, facing Cat Noir and—and…she didn't know. Oh god…there was no—it couldn't really be…

But it was. It had to be, she saw it now. Maybe she had seen it before, maybe this was just the final straw that made it all come crashing down for her, because _how could she not know_ …who else could it have been?

She recalled every crooked smile, every playful smirk, the bounce in his step and the enthusiasm of his voice. When she had met Adrien, really met him in that park in the snow…it hadn't been him standing there. Or it had been, but not in the way that she knew. Or rather, in a way she knew too well. How he had smiled…watching her pick the bell, _his_ bell, out from the stall and wear it around her neck. The stutter of his voice when she spoke confidently of her partner.

And then there was something else in her indecipherable swirl of emotions, something that for a moment bordered on anger. Had he known?

Had it been a lie? Those playful smiles, those moments in the snow. Had that just been to get to Ladybug, had he known it was her and just went for her heart in another way, did he even _care_ —but it fell short when she saw his eyes. When she spoke his name and his exclamation of disbelief fell from his lips… He hadn't known. He was just as blindsided as she was.

So those times, those nervous laughs and silly jokes…

Was it really just Adrien? Was it really just _Cat_ , eager not to be alone for Christmas? Eager not to be alone…

Wanting a friend, when he was all… alone.

Was that the fear she saw? As he pulled away, clutching the sweater like it was the only thing he was sure of, his body tensed to run.

Was he afraid she would leave him alone? Just when he had found her, for the second time…

"Don't!" She said it instinctively, cutting off whatever motion Cat was about to commit to. His legs were tensed and his eyes were almost tortured, so entirely unsure. She realized she was leaning towards him, a little breathless, no idea what she was saying, just knowing she was speaking. "Don't run, don't leave j-just, wait."

He looked confused, surprised, shocked even. But he stayed, for how long though she didn't know. She wasn't sure how much time she had bought, and her words tumbled out.

"I-I don't know, about anything. About any of this this is insane I—just stay. Don't leave, please just talk to me about it."

She lunged, reached out and caught one of his arms, holding him by the wrist and speaking urgently. But he was still tensed, and when he spoke his voice was small.

"I don't know what to say."

There was a small stretch of silence, when she let out a humorless breathy chuckle.

"Me neither."

"Marinette," he spoke, his voice faltering as he scrambled again for words, looking into her eyes. "Is it really you?"

She hadn't expected…this. How could she? When she pictured a reveal with Cat the image of his face had always been blurry, unknown and uneventful. Sure they would have new names for each other but not much more. She hadn't expected to know him, for him to be _Adrien._ It…it changed everything.

She nodded, slowly, but she did…and as his eyes followed the motion his lips moved, trying for words and failing yet again. 'Was it good?' she wondered. 'Is this a good thing?'

Yes.

Then why were they both so scared?

"I didn't know," he said suddenly, his words rushing together, "I-I wasn't trying to trick you and I wasn't looking for the answer because I know you wanted your identity to be secret so I wouldn't have—I wouldn't try and take that from you I wasn't looking I didn't—"

Her eyes widened as his fears spilled out and he looked so genuine. He was afraid she hated him. She couldn't believe it.

She was overwhelmed, surprised, startled, unsure, but she didn't _fault_ him. Not at all.

"Adrien, it's okay!"

He stopped, his sweater clutched close to his chest as he watched her face.

"I-I'm not mad. I know you didn't do it on—I know. It's okay, this isn't bad."

She said his name easily, even with the mask in the way. Now that she knew she could see it, it was so clear. All this time…it had been him. Jumping along behind her, fighting to protect her, calling her pet names and winking flirtatiously. It had been Adrien. As much as it made sense…it was so hard. Piling it together, making them one person in her head.

They just stared at each other, Adrien going through the same thing. Little Marinette, sweet blushing fumbling Marinette. She had been behind him, just one seat behind him all this time. She wore his bell… that was something that made his whole body feel charged, like lighting would strike between them if he even moved an inch. She wore his bell, to show she appreciated him. To show support. She took him in, she gave him her Christmas. She laughed with him, she was his friend, his Princess, it was _her._

To all at once know the person who was offering him her home was his lady, _his_ lady it just—he just—he was utterly overwhelmed. Overwhelmed didn't even feel like the right word anymore.

Those past few days, every wonderful moment…it had been his lady. Swinging in once again…to make sure he wasn't alone.

Who…who else could it have been?

"Marinette," he said again, the tension in his legs finally starting to wane. He still leaned away, but his eyes poured over her face, watching as snowflakes settled primly in her lashes. In his mind he pulled the mask away, and he saw her, all of her. Of course it was her… who else…

"D-don't worry about Christmas," he found himself saying, hanging his head and forcing the words out even if he hated them. He didn't want to be alone, but he knew now he couldn't ask that much. Not after this. "I-I'll be okay just…I know this is too much just…don't worry about it."

"Cat?"

He didn't look at her, but as he watched snow fall all around them he heard her voice, Marinette's voice, saying his name. One of his names.

"This isn't a bad thing Cat," she said again, and slowly he looked at her and inhaled sharply, watching as her transformation unraveled right in front of him. And then there was Marinette, shivering a little from the cold, startled and unsure but not angry. Not upset.

His eyes matched hers, bright cat like eyes burrowing into her earnest shining blue ones. Her grip on his arm was gentle but unmoving, rooting him to the rooftop, asking him to stay. The box of cookies lay cold on the tiles, and the necklace's box still lay safely in her hand. It was something so powerful, the gesture of showing her face to him. She wanted him to listen, making it the single most important thing she would say to him that night.

"Come tomorrow morning…I still want you to be there. This is—it's so much…I don't—" her voice wavered and she looked away for a moment, steeling herself. Then she matched his gaze again, with all the grace and power of Ladybug. "The only thing that's changed is that not just my new friend but one of my _best_ friends will be with me for Christmas. It's where you belong Cat— _Adrien_. It's where you're supposed to be. With me, on Christmas Eve. In that way…" she smiled… gently, softly, "nothing's changed. So please…" her smile faded, "please don't leave that's the one thing you can never do just… don't leave."

And she said it again, the same way she had in her room when she comforted him in much the same way.

"Stay."

To the outside world…very little had changed.

The snow still fell, and the lights still shined from the persistently cheery storefronts nearby. He was still Cat Noir, and she was still Ladybug. And even as different as everything seemed…she was right. Nothing's changed.

"O-okay," he finally whispered, hearing the echo from their conversation in her room, his surge of emotions weighing down on him until his instinct to flee had finally faded and he crouched down to sit beside her.

She smiled, the action not quite strained but still hesitant, shaking a little and not just from the cold. She sighed, the sound warping into a breathy laugh as she bowed her head.

"This is going to take a while to get used to…" she spoke quietly, her fingers moving to lift the jewel necklace from the box. She laid it across her lap then slowly reached up and pulled the small golden bell from her neck, picking at the knot until it came undone and the flash of gold fell into her palm. "But I- I know we're gonna be okay. It's weird and scary and so _so_ weird but…"

His eyes followed her hands, biting back a surge of relief and gratefulness as he watched her slide the bell onto the new silver chain until it dangled alongside the black cat chasing after the ladybug, until she finally hooked it on her neck again.

"We're partners. We'll be okay, Adrien."

At first she couldn't get the clasp, and he was about to move to help when a small red creature silently flew up to assist, fastening the chain and giving Adrien a timid wave. Her kwami, he realized, though his mind was far too exhausted to process it much further. He waved back.

Marinette settled the new combined charm on her chest, and the significance of the gesture was not lost on him. She was showing him it was okay, she was being strong. She was being sure and steadfast because she knew he was struggling, trying to pull it all together in his head into something that made sense.

That was something that made her so impossibly…more. Something else. Even when she must be so freaked out, so confused and unsure…she found the strength to be steady, to be comforting and kind.

To be Ladybug.

"Are we okay?" she finally whispered, looking up at him and blinking the snow from her eyes. "Is it…okay? That _I'm_ —that…" she trailed off, and he saw that he couldn't expect all the strength from her. He had to meet her half way, it would never work if he didn't. They were partners after all.

"A-are you seriously asking if it's alright that my amazing friend is also my lady, because that's—that's just ridiculous."

After a moment she blinked at him and saw something that tried to be a smirk, and a tone that was doing its best to be playful.

"I mean, I know I call you Pearhead but I never really considered you a _birdbrain_."

She blinked again, staring at him, marveling at his…it was _so him_. One of the most earth shattering revelations of their lives and he—he made a _bird pun_. A **nerdy** _bird pun._

How utterly Cat Noir…h-how entirely Adrien.

So she laughed.

She laughed, so hard and so genuinely, laughing out the relief and the confusion and the criss-crossed desperate emotions and just _laughed_. It shook her whole body, and she dropped her hand from his arm to cradle her body, tears feeling cold against her cheek the second she shed them. And after a moment… he was laughing too.

The sounds blended together into a loud ringing chorus, two confused kids kneeling on a rooftop doing their best to pull it together. They were so confused, neither of them even _broaching_ what the hell this meant for their feelings for each other. They were just trying to deal with it, and ended up finding that their coping lead to barely controlled rolling bouts of laughter on a snowy, freezing rooftop in the middle of Paris, with a shitty punny cat sweater on one side and a frozen box of cookies on the other.

For Marinette it was too much just then to try and reconcile the fact that the boy she loved and Cat who courted her were one and the same…so she didn't. Not yet, it didn't matter yet. What mattered was the pair of boys who became her friends, both with beaming infectious smiles and cold lonely homes. What mattered was that she was their friend, _his_ friend. In light of the Christmas season…that was all that mattered for now.

As the laughter finally started to die and the reality of it finally started to settle, some part of Marinette's brain wondered if she should change Adrien's stocking to black and green. Another part wondered how she had never seen it before, and another part entirely focused intently on the leather clad cat boy in front of her, toying sheepishly with the sweater in his hands.

He felt so lame. He didn't know what to say, what did you say with something like _this_?

So he just said, "You're right. I really do like this sweater."

She gave him a look that just said, 'Really Cat?' and it made him chuckle again, the sound giddy and almost manic from his scattered thoughts. She was so close to him, and he felt like it was hard to breathe. It became pretty clear that they both just needed… space. At least until the morning.

"I should go home," he finally said, looking over his shoulder in the general direction of his manor, but jumping slightly when he turned back around to see how tense she was. It actually made him smile a little. "I'll come back, my lady…I-I promised you, I don't break promises. I'll be there tomorrow morning, I swear. I should just go for now."

He stiffened under her powerful gaze, her eyes burning into him as she seemed to make absolutely sure if she let him go he would come back, and eventually seemed appeased. The small girl sighed heavily, looking away and nodding absent mindedly.

"I'm looking forward to spending Christmas with you, Cat," she finally said, still looking away from him. She chuckled distractedly, tilting her face towards him just enough so he could see her smirk. "Honestly never thought I'd say that."

He laughed, the sound still almost breathless as he smiled at the ground. "Can't say I'm complaining, Princess. I like the way it sounds."

There was a small stretch of silence between them that almost seemed like a sigh neither of them breathed, snow settling and swirling and glowing in the shine of Christmas lights. Then finally, Marinette said, "Goodnight, Adrien. And…thank you for the necklace. I really like it."

They looked over at each other at the same time, locking eyes and sharing something so concrete and personal between them that they both blushed, looking away again with giddy laughs. It just said that _it's okay. We're okay_.

"Goodnight my lady…I'll see you in the morning."

He stood, holding his sweater securely and taking one last cold cookie from the box before striding to the edge of the roof, his thoughts broken and unsure but his heart ultimately light. Just before he leapt, he looked over his shoulder, seeing shy little Marinette staring at him with wide eyes, his gift shining at her neck.

"Merry Christmas, Marinette," he finally breathed, flashing her one final smile before bounding away, running towards home and a surely sleepless night but careful all the way to cradle his gift with care. His mind flew faster than his feet as he skidded along every tile, pulling together every memory of the two girls and blurring them together until a slow, building uncontrollable laugh started to overtake him all over again.

Who else could it have been?

Back on the rooftop Marinette still sat crouched in the snow, warming Tikki in her hands and smiling after him, tracking his shape through the night until finally he vanished. She could feel the weight of her necklace against her chest and the uneven pounding of her heart, the bite of the air in her lungs and the chill of the snow on her skin, but mostly…mostly she felt like it all finally clicked into place. Like for once, every piece was where it ought to be on the board. No more lies…no more misunderstandings. Just Christmas Eve, and gifts under the tree.

As insane as it was, as confusing and weird and terrifying as it was… it was everything it was meant to be. He was where he was meant to be. With her…come Christmas morning.

"Thanks, Alley cat," she whispered to herself, lifting the weight of her gift into her hand and glancing over it with a small smile. "I love it."


	6. Chapter 6

"Marinette, you should really try and sleep don't you think?"

Tikki hovered near Marinette's workstation, looking on with a worried expression as the girl worked quietly on some project. It was nearly dawn and the girl had never even attempted to go to bed, it would have been pointless. She might as well do something.

Adrien and Cat Noir… god.

"You know I can't Tikki," she sighed back, leaning her weight onto her elbows as she stitched something. "I can't sleep after _that_."

There was a small stretch of silence and Marinette didn't look up from the soft black cloth in her hands, embroidering something by hand into the fold of the stocking in bright green thread.

"Are you upset?" Tikki finally asked, her question being posed for the dozenth time because the girls words and behavior always seemed to contradict.

"No, no I'm just- AH," her hands shot out, waving the almost finished black and green stocking around for a moment as her fingers desperately tried to grasp some untouchable concept. After a few seconds of that she sighed dramatically and dropped her head onto her desk, muttering, "You know?"

Her kwami giggled flying forward to tap her hair affectionately. "Oh Marinette, you're making it more complicated than it needs to be."

"WHAT how am I- how does this get more complicated!?" Marinette flipped around suddenly in her swivel chair, the momentum carrying her in a complete rotation and slamming her knee painfully into the desk. "AH!" she groaned, moving to grab her knee and fumbling the large spool of thread in the process, watching as it fell and unraveled across her bedroom floor with a grunt of frustration.

"Please tell me how this gets _any_ more complicated Tikki, I couldn't make this more convoluted if I **tried**." Marinette grumbled and huffed as she hobbled after her thread, Tikki giggling all the way once she knew her charge was just getting worked up and not actually angry or injured.

"Is Cat Noir your friend?" Tikki offered, crossing her arms smugly in a way only an incredibly ancient creature could. Marinette narrowed her eyes as she returned to her desk, jabbing the needle at the cloth.

"Of course he-" she started, but Tikki zipped into her face and made her jump, cutting her off.

"Is Adrien your friend?" Tikki spoke again, tilting her head and smiling cutely.

Marinette groaned. "YES Tikki but-"

"Do you like Adrien?"

Marinette blinked, and gave her kwami an exasperated look. If anyone knew just how true that was it was _her_ why was she asking?

" **Yes**."

"Do you like Cat Noir?"

Marinette froze, her face feeling hot almost instantly as she fought off the urge to shout 'NO' when she saw how contradictory it was. Hence all the confusion, she saw no point being made here. She stabbed again at the stocking, returning to the intricate close knit embroidery in an effort to calm herself.

"Marinette?" Tikki pried, the girl refusing to look up as she replied.

"I don't know!"

Tikki sighed but her expression was kind as she floated back down into Marinette's line of sight. "Let me say it different. _Could_ you like Cat Noir?"

The designer for the most part seemed to be trying to ignore her but her hands slowed slightly, her eyes trailing along the bright green 'Cat Noir' stitched into the stocking, a Cat's eye glowing in the 'O'. She had elected to make a separate one for Adrien's other half, and another for Ladybug as well almost entirely just for something to do. She knew all her insane emotions would crowd her head until she couldn't sleep, but now there was that question too.

 _Could_ she like Cat Noir? Could she learn to love the person they are together?

Her working fingers stopped completely, the needle laying idle in her hand as she stared at the name awhile longer. In her mind she heard echoes of laughs and silly jokes, saw images of a smiling boy eager for a family as well as a playful Cat looking for a fight.

Of course she could, she realized…

It would be easy.

"I-I don't know yet," she fibbed slightly, not quite willing to say anything as concrete as a 'yes'. Concrete things seemed risky just then.

Tikki flew in front of the stocking, sitting on the cloth and demanding to be looked at as she gave her charge a kind and understanding smile.

"I think Adrien is feeling much the same thing right now Marinette, don't you?"

Marinette's response was slow but delivered in a low and distant tone, her eyes casting to the side as her fears from the past few hours bubbled up.

"Cat Noir- Adrien- they like Ladybug. Both of them do, _he_ does."

Tikki's eyes twinkled with a quiet humor, crossing her arms in that same knowing way as she said, "But _could_ he like Marinette?"

Silence.

 _'Oh_ ' the girl suddenly thought, 'Tikki must be feeling smug about that one… I walked right into it.' Grinning kwami aside it was said now, the sound of it rattling in her mind and ushering in a warm and… hopeful feeling.

Maybe he could…

Marinette shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to push back the giddy almost-hope that built in her chest. It wasn't to keep those emotions away, it wasn't that… It just wasn't what was important for the time being.

In the silent hours of the night it was impossible to dodge her confused feelings for long, but as the sky outside just stared to lighten she knew what mattered most was being ready for him to walk through that door. Convoluted love square or not she knew how unsure he was going to be walking into the bakery. He was probably still awake like her, pacing nervously in his room and trying to sort through it all, wondering what the heck he was going to do when morning finally came.

She couldn't leave him to wonder or panic, this was going to be hard for the both of them but she knew they would adjust. In all fairness being thrown into close proximity for two whole days where they couldn't run and hide from each other was probably the best possible situation for them, it was do or die. They were either going to make it work or watch as their partnership went down in flames, not to mention any possible… anything else.

She leaned back with a sigh and felt the weight of her necklace tap against her chest, the sensation moving to counter her nervous thoughts almost instantly and bringing a smile to her face.

Their partnership wouldn't burn, it never could. She was Ladybug, and he was Cat Noir. Those two names went side by side, an awkward Christmas wouldn't thwart that.

Even so, she didn't think it would be bad. Weird at first without a doubt but… she really couldn't picture it as bad. Even if she was terrified of looking like a fool in front of Adrien she wasn't worried about embarrassing herself in front of Cat, maybe the two things would cancel out? It was almost sort of… reassuring. It's like having her close friend there to constantly make it better no matter how tongue tied she got with Adrien, but they were the exact same person. God how confusing and insane but… it was almost like knowing he was Cat Noir dulled the edges, made him a little less intimidating, furthered the progress of her confidence even more so then their recent closeness already had.

It was also a little comforting knowing that both halves of him had the tendency of being a dork and with his luck _he_ was the one most likely to do something embarrassing. She would be there though to make it better, both halves of her working to keep him smiling. Marinette would comfort, even if Ladybug did tease a little.

It made her feel better.

Tikki left Marinette alone as she finished the last stocking, satisfied with the gentle smile on her face. Poor girl had gotten hit with a lot of information at once, but as more time passed she seemed to be doing better.

"What do you think Tikki?" the girl finally spoke up, holding out a cute black stocking with the name of her partner and little green cat paws stitched in. "I was thinking since Adrien would have his downstairs that maybe we could use this one for P-… Plagg? Is that his name?"

The small red kwami nodded, giggling happily as she flew forward to inspect it. "Yup! He's a trouble maker I'll warn you now, but he's a sweetie once you get to know him."

"I'm sure," Marinette chuckled, knowing full well that Tikki gave everyone the benefit of the doubt and that the mysterious other kwami was likely more of a hassle than she was letting on. "You like sweets, does Plagg like sweets as well? I could put cookies in it."

"Put cookies in mine!" Tikki cheered, whizzing over to the red and black spotted Ladybug stocking on the desk. She made an adorable disgusted expression when she said, "All Plagg eats is cheese. He'll eat any of it, put a few of those string cheeses you have in it and he'll be overjoyed."

"String cheese seriously? Are you sure he wouldn't want something else? I have some extra material I could make him a tiny… hat?"

Tikki giggled again, shrugging and snuggling into the opening of her stocking. "He'll love you for the cheese and a warm place to sleep, he doesn't need much more than that."

Marinette thought it over for a little while and put in some bits of extra soft and warm lining, making something almost like a nest on the inside. She would add the cheese just before Adrien arrived so it wouldn't be sitting out for too long, putting cheese in a stocking at all was enough to make her chuckle. How weird this all was…

She was starting to feel the drain of way too confusing revelations and a long night of uncertainty, so with a sigh she finally set her work down and headed towards her bed. She was still totally dressed and she knew she would need to be up in a few hours but for now she really did just need to sleep. Her feet thumped heavily against the steps leading up to her bed, until finally she collapsed, burying herself in the blankets and curling together for warmth.

She squeezed her eyes tight, breathing out a heavy sigh and letting all of her tension leave her body. She could do this for him. She could do it for herself too. He was going to be so scared… she knew that. She needed to be strong enough to show him that it was okay, and for that she needed some rest.

Snow continued to fall all over Paris, ushering in the light of morning on Christmas Eve in gently falling waves of white. The flakes accented every street, every sign and every single shining light, singing in silent voices that Christmas time had come at last. For so many the early hours of that morning were met with the shining eyes of family and friends, waking early to greet each other and the day. However for two undercover superheroes the early hours were spent face down on their beds, both out cold from emotional exhaustion, until finally a pair of loud blaring alarms shook them awake at 9:00 AM.

Marinette had gotten only four hours of sleep, Adrien as little as three, but for both of them realizing that they were expected to face their other half in less than an hour had them awake and on edge.

Marinette spent her first few minutes awake staring at the snow clogged glass panel of her hatch. The covering was thin enough that you could _just_ see light leaking through, but the image as a whole was neither distracting enough nor interesting enough to keep her from dwelling on her confused _too real_ dreams.

She knew so much more about Adrien now, and Cat Noir, that any dream with them- _him_ \- in it was all together too realistic. Adrien would stutter and hesitate and rub at the back of his neck just as the real one would, before leaning in and trying out some horrendous Cat like pick up line to win her over. He would smirk playfully as he gently pushed her beneath mistletoe hanging from the ceiling, pretending like he hadn't seen it and "Oh would you look at that princess, seems we've been caught out. It's in the spirit of things don't you think?" and just UGH.

Adrien Agreste with the flirtatious confidence of Cat Noir was like giving nuclear launch codes to a baby, utterly unpredictable and entirely too dangerous.

She groaned, her hands flying up to rub roughly at her eyes as she swung her feet over her bed. She probably wouldn't have to deal with it any time soon which was reassuring since she had _no idea_ what she was going to do once it happened. As soon as Cat saw Ladybug get genuinely flustered over something he had said there would be no stopping him, so hopefully for now she would have some time to breathe. Some time to figure it out at least. Oh boy.

After a final deep breathe to prepare herself she launched into action, teetering a little from her exhaustion but soon jolting completely awake, running to her bathroom to shower and prepare. She only had an hour before he arrived, she needed to get some things in place before then.

At about 9:45 Sabine was preparing breakfast happily in the kitchen when Marinette appeared out of nowhere, bolting past her to grab an _inordinate_ amount of string cheese from the fridge, practically all of it. Her hair was still wet and her clothes barely thrown on so needless to say she looked a little… on edge as she ran back up to her room offering literally no explanation. Sabine blinked once, twice, three times before finally shrugging, returning to her cooking and trying not to be concerned. Maybe she just had a craving? Hopefully she was still hungry enough for breakfast, because when her daughter finally reappeared ten minutes later it was empty handed. Her hair was dried and brushed straight, falling in waves down her shoulders and pressed gently down by a festive Santa hat on her head.

"Merry Christmas Eve Marinette!" her mother called now that she was standing still for a second, and after a moment of sudden dazed surprise Marinette grinned at her happily.

"Merry Christmas Eve Momma! Adrien is on his way," she offered, her phone being twisted nervously in her fingers. He had sent a simple one sentence confirmation of just that, betraying no sort of emotion or anything and she was more than a little anxious.

' _You have to have this figured out for the both of you, don't let it be awkward he's counting on you.'_ Her thoughts churned, fighting to fill her with the resolute calm she had managed to find on the rooftop. She knew for a fact everything would be okay, but she also knew that he _didn't_ and it was extremely important to her that she do everything right. What should she say to him? What should she do? If she hesitated at all it might make him even more uncertain but all of her own unease would translate into the situation and she just **had** to do it right. Thinking all that just made it harder and harder though, the girl bouncing anxiously around the kitchen while her mother chatted happily about decorations and other such things. What was she going to do?

She spent five minutes hiding her face from her mother to avoid suspicion and desperately trying to formulate a plan when exactly at 10:00 AM she heard the door chime downstairs, and without much thought at all she sprinted towards the sound.

She flew down the steps, reaching into her simple beige sweater to bring her necklace out from hiding as she ran. Her feet were clad in festive snowflake socks that aided her slide into the bakery, locking eyes with Adrien but never breaking stride.

In the few moments before she reached him she took in his stance and expression, seeing the timid quietly unsure boy she had expected. His shoulders were a little drawn in, a black overnight bag slung over the shoulder of his silly Cat Pun sweater. There was a sharp swell of delight in her as she read the words "Have a Clawesome Holiday!" spelled out cheerily across his chest, overjoyed that he had worn it to meet her, as well as a feeling of pride at the small hesitant smile he gave her before his expression warped into one of surprise. It was warranted, since she was practically charging him. She could see it, the fact that he was trying so _so_ hard, and all her tentative plans flew out the window as she tackled him with a hug.

He staggered under the sudden weight, a yelp of surprise escaping him as he stumbled backwards against the door. He did his best to regain his balance but she had been running so quickly and leapt with such enthusiasm that the swinging door betrayed him completely, throwing the two of them suddenly out into the snow. His foot caught on the lip of the door, and with a final startled shout he fell backwards onto the snowy sidewalk, Marinette landing on top of him and pressed firmly against his chest. The intense show of affection totally upended all of his anxious anticipation, and when she finally pulled back just enough so he could see the sincere joy in her eyes (even if it was a little muddled with fierce embarrassment) his voice left him completely.

Her hair was down, his brain stupidly noticed second, and her voice was quiet and genuine when she spoke.

"You came."

For Adrien there was so much information to take in at once that he could hardly feel embarrassed at all at their incredibly intimate position. She was propping herself up from him but still poised directly above, lying flat on his back and staring up into her flushed, bright face as snow fell all around them. No… as overwhelming as that was, he noticed other things. The fierceness of her hello, the almost desperate eagerness behind it and the quiet shake of her voice. The fact that her necklace, _his_ necklace swayed in the space between their chests, as well as the impossible depth of emotion displayed in her eyes. Joy, relief, a twinge of embarrassment and fragile confidence.

Marinette must have been afraid he wouldn't come, had some whispering fear in the back of her mind that he would break his promise. Some doubt that things really had changed for the worse. She was trying desperately to have all the confidence the two of them needed, but some part of her was terrified of losing him to this. Of losing him at all.

And it made him so _impossibly_ happy.

"Of course I came Princess, I promised you didn't I?"

He was amazed at the strength of his voice and at how easily he grinned up at her from his place on the sidewalk. The grin wasn't forced or fake, he had been prepared to give as many fake smiles as it would take to make things better but it wasn't that at all. Being on his own had given him time to panic and worry and fabricate worse case scenarios, but he should have known better. This was Ladybug he was talking about she was a permanent best case scenario, even with his sour luck he still had her. He _had_ her, she was right there, right in front of him. His lucky charm, showing some of that loveable Marinette clumsiness that made everything okay. She made everything… okay. She always did.

They stared at each other for another moment more before he watched as she turned an incredibly dark shade of red right before his eyes, the fact that she had him pinned against the ground in the falling snow probably dawning on her entirely.

"I-I uh I'm so SO s-sorry I-" she was a mess almost instantly, moving to scramble off of him and kneeling beside him on the sidewalk, hiding in her hands as the white bauble of her Santa hat swung dramatically in front of her face. He didn't move right away, smirking up into the sky before propping himself up on an elbow and looking at her, listening to the tiny whispers of 'Oh my god oh my GOD' before laughing out loud.

He regretted the sound when he saw her wither, peeking at him from between her fingers with a look of betrayal but he couldn't stop it completely, just bite his tongue and hope it made a difference.

It didn't, he was soon laughing again. It was only when he heard her make a sound almost like a whimper that he moved to sit up, reaching out and prying her hands away from her face so she could see his smile.

"Hey- heey! It's okay, I shouldn't have laughed I'm sorry, it's just-" he hesitated, mulling over the thought and wondering if it would get him in trouble before saying, "it's just that was _really_ funny."

"Adrien!" she protested, trying to reclaim her hands to hide behind but his grip on her wrists was firm and unmoving while also being careful not to hurt her.

"No no I'm sorry I'm-" his words were broken up by giggles until he made of show of sobering up, giving her a very serious look. "I'm done laughing I'm good now I'm good."

She was pouting, glaring at him and tearing his expression to bits, seeing the corners of his lips threatening to turn up in a grin and the mischievous glint in his eyes.

There was a ghost of a smile on her own face as she matched his gaze, knowing for a fact he was one second away from bursting into another fit of laughter. It was a relief though, to see him so playful and genuine even if it _was_ because she had made a fool of herself by **literally** tackling him out the door.

His lips twitched again, fighting against the urge to laugh as she forced a frown at him. After another pause though her expression softened, and despite her embarrassment she said, "I'm really glad you're here Cat."

He jumped a little at the name, feeling heat settle on his cheeks as it dawned on him once again who both of them really were, and what this situation really meant. He knew it obviously, but it was easy to ignore when it was so intimidating. That's why she said it though, so neither of them could ignore it. This was Ladybug, telling him to his face that she was glad he was there.

There was something so much more than relief that beat in his chest, something so much more powerful and complete. Her necklace hung heavily on her chest and she watched him with a gentle smile, fighting against her own quickly beating heart as they kept their eyes solely on each other.

When he finally spoke it was in a low, earnest tone, a smile on his lips.

"I'm really glad I'm here too my lady. Nowhere else I would rather be, no one else I would rather be with."

She smiled at him that happy closed eye Marinette smile he loved so much, both of them visibly relaxing as the air was cleared of some unspoken tension. It was so weird… but it was good. It was really really good.

"Come on Pearhead, let's go in before we get sick," he added at last, getting back on his feet quickly so he could offer her a hand of assistance. She took his hand with a timid giggle, letting him pull her to her feet with his considerable strength. They were both a little wet and a cold from the silly blunder, but they couldn't be happier. For Adrien, just being there with her provided more warmth than he could ever need, the kind of heat that thawed your mind when it was frozen, stuck in place and worn from worry.

They were inside for only a moment, brushing fallen snow from their hair and laughing together a little awkwardly before Adrien was literally swept from his feet again, pulled into the powerful crushing arms of Marinette's father.

"Merry Christmas my boy!" Tom bellowed, having somehow managed to sneak up on the distracted heroes. "And you too Marinette of course." Tom grinned down at his daughter playfully, letting Adrien swing and wiggle for another few seconds before letting him drop to the ground so he could breathe.

"Morning Papa," she laughed, hugging him second and saying "Merry Christmas Eve to you as well."

Adrien was still recovering his hand on his chest as he steadied his breathing until he could sputter out, Merry C-Christmas sir!"

"The family is all here so let's go up! Sabine's almost done with the food then we can do the stockings!"

It was hilarious to see, a full grown man single handedly more pumped about presents than either of the kids combined. He was wearing his usual blue shirt and a festive snowman apron with a matching Santa hat to Marinette's settled squarely on his head. The huge man moved forward and picked Marinette off the ground, pulling the squealing girl into his arms bridal style and grinning at Adrien. "Your sweater is amazing by the way Adrien I love it. And your necklace sweetheart! Where did you get that? Did Adrien give that to you!?"

Marinette tensed from her place in her dad's arms before saying nervously, "u-uh yeah! H-he gave it to me outside isn't it beautiful?"

Tom blinked down at the obviously jeweled necklace around his daughter's neck, a little stunned. "He really bought that for you? Adrien that's so kind of you! An absolute gentleman, would you look at that."

Her father laughed for a second before leaning down to whisper something to Adrien she couldn't hear, her suspicions growing when Adrien snickered and blushed deeply, giving the father a thumbs up that seemed to surprise yet please him.

"Good lad!" was all Tom said, finally moving to walk upstairs with Marinette in his arms, Adrien following close behind with a giddy smile plastered to his face.

"What did he say to you?" Marinette mouthed over her father's shoulder, but the boy just continued to smile, shaking his head and winking at her just before they arrived in the kitchen.

In reality Tom had whispered to him something along the lines of 'She's a spring wedding kind of girl', but he definitely wasn't going to tell her that.

"Merry Christmas Eve Adrien!" Sabine called to him lovingly, darting away from the food long enough to hug him tightly and take his bag. "I'll put this down in Marinette's room why don't you have a seat? Food's about done, how was your walk here sweetie was it cold? Been snowing all morning!" and such and such like that. Adrien hardly had time to answer before he was pushed down into a seat and the mother was gone again, leaving to put the bag down and returning almost as quickly. The table was laden with cute nutcracker candle holders and snowflake shaped placemats and all sorts of decorations wherever a plate was not, the whole table brimming with dozens of food items he could hardly name and a few that were a little more familiar. The Cheng's went _all out_ for the holidays that was clear, somehow making the house even cheerier and warmer than it had been before.

Marinette sat next to him, giving him a shy smile that almost seemed to apologize for her parent's enthusiasm, which was ridiculous because he loved it he loved everything about what was happening. The Christmas carols blaring throughout the house, the parents singing along, the smell of the food and the adorable sight of his lady with a Santa hat. It was awesome it was all _so awesome_.

He jumped a little when he got a text, his eyes darting away from Tom who was dancing with his wife to "Jingle Bell Rock" while they waited for one last thing to finish cooking.

He pulled out his phone and raised an eyebrow at Marinette when he saw it was from her, the girl only smiling and gesturing for him to read it. What wouldn't she just say out loud?

'M- Is your kwami hungry? I don't know how to spell his name, Tikki told me about him though. Tikki is my kwami btw'

Oh, yeah fair enough she couldn't really say that over breakfast.

'A- It's Plagg, and he's always kind of hungry he pretty exclusively only eats cheese though. I can sneak out to get him some later if you don't have any. What's Tikki like? What do they eat? Is the cheese thing only for Plagg cause it's kind of weird.'

He heard Marinette's phone buzz beside him and bit back a laugh when she snickered at his message.

Tom had come to sit across from them when he got a reply.

'M- No I actually have a surprise for him I think he will like? According to Tikki he will, I'm looking forward to meeting him. Once we eat we can go to my room so we can meet them. Tikki loves sweet things she almost only eats cookies. She's great you'll like her.'

'A- sounds good! Can't wait to talk to Tikki'

Their subtle conversation was forced to halt when Sabine slid into place with a big steaming plate ooooof… something. Looked good, no clue what it was though.

"Dig in kids! Merry Christmas and thank you so much for joining us Adrien, we're really happy to have you here with us," Sabine announced in a sweet gentle voice, and Adrien was hit with another wave of affection for these amazing people.

"Yes, glad to have you here," Tom seconded, grinning at the boy until he went a little red in the face, bowing his head and uttering genuine thank yous a few times over until the parents laughed happily at him.

"No need to thank us, it's a joy to have you," Sabine offered again, moving to start serving the food.

"Yeah… thanks for coming. Merry Christmas Adrien," Marinette almost whispered, her parent's giving her soft looks approval as Adrien looked up at her with a flushed face.

"Yeah," was all he managed, and the adults looked on as the two teens locked eyes for the longest second of their lives, flushed, and looked away with nervous laughs.

Tom idly wondered if he had mistletoe lying around.

Their breakfast was lively and fun, filed with jokes and stories that made them all laugh. Tom was telling some horrifically mortifying story about Marinette in her ballerina days that had Adrien on the edge of his seat when Marinette finally proclaimed "OKAY we're gonna go upstairs for a little okay dad!?"

Tom was roaring with laughter as Marinette was quickly on her feet, grabbing a chuckling Adrien by the hand and quickly hauling him upstairs.

"You used to be a ballerina?" he asked with entertained smirk.

"Please _please_ shut up."

"No it's great! I can picture it, it suits you really!"

"I was **good** as well smart alec, thank you very much," she pouted over her shoulder, sticking her tongue out at him before giving in to a slight chuckle.

"Do you have the tutu still?"

"Shh alley cat," she sighed, throwing open the hatch to her room and climbing inside, Adrien following directly behind.

They stood in the center of the room for a moment before Adrien remembered himself, and a little hesitantly he said "Oh uh, you should meet- uh Plagg come here."

Marinette watched a little nervously as Adrien rifled around in his sweater for a second, before suddenly a small black blur popped into sight. It was tiny and black with huge glowing green cat eyes, but most importantly, "It has tiny kitty ears," Marinette whispered aloud, not really meaning to but unable to contain it. It had _tiny kitty ears_.

Plagg whipped around to look at Marinette, allowed to look at her unobstructed for the first time and finding that she was staring at him wide eyed with her hands close to her chest. With a sharp toothed grin he darted out into the open. "Hello shy girl!"

"Plagg," Adrien immediately scolded with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Her name it Marinette you _know that_."

"Oh and here I could have sworn she was Lady Luck," Plagg snickered back, turning playfully through the air so he could look at the designer upside down. "Sorry my boy is such a dunce, took him forever to figure out you and Ladybug were the same person it was so dull to watch!"

Marinette jumped a little, her mouth opening but producing no sound in surprise. Luckily she didn't need to before Adrien was exclaiming, " _You_ _ **knew!?**_ _"_

"Of course I knew, hello Tikki!" he called, looking down to see Tikki rising out of Marinette's pocket with a slightly reproachful look.

"Don't tease him Plagg," Tikki scolded, her expression still managing to be somewhat kind.

"I haven't seen you in a century and the first thing you do is scold me? How very you," Plagg stuck his tongue out, but it somehow didn't come off completely bratty, it was obvious he was just playing.

Tikki smiled softly, letting out an adorable giggle. "Hello Plagg, I've missed you!"

"I know you did," he cackled, before flying in front of Adrien as if to present him, the boy still looking a little pissed off. "Check out my Cat Noir! Pretty cool huh? Even if he is a bit slow on the uptake."

"Hey!" Adrien protested before there was suddenly the much nicer red kwami flying up near his face.

"Very cool!" she giggled, seemingly praising Plagg on his choice of hero. "And cute as well! I'm Tikki! It's nice to really meet you Adrien."

"N-nice to meet you as well Tikki!" he stammered out with a smile. "You know Plagg?"

The red kwami hummed happily and smiled at him before turning to grin at Plagg. "Mhm! I've known Plagg for years and years! Not every Ladybug and Cat Noir reveals their identities though, so it's been some time since I've seen him. Still the troublemaking cheese head I remember."

"Cheese is better than cookies, sweet-tooth," he shot back, to which Tikki gave a small disgusted shout before crossing her arms with a pout, Plagg cackling all the while.

"Uh- um Plagg?" Marinette finally asked, having re-entered the conversation with something in her hands. Adrien looked over at her and with a jolt he realized she was holding a Cat Noir stocking, obviously made by hand.

"Wow," he whispered, looking at the beautiful gesture with a light heart. Marinette smiled shyly.

"I figured since I made you one as Adrien that I could use the Cat Noir one as a gift for Pla-"

"A gift!" the small black kwami cheered, zipping in a blur straight at Marinette so quickly that she flinched with a tiny yell. He vanished into the stocking, and before Adrien could shout at him to be polite there was a squeal of joy.

"CHEESE!" he yelled, reappearing with his arms loaded with string cheese sticks twice as long as himself. "CHEESE ADRIEN IT'S FILLED WITH CHEESE!"

Marinette stared at him with wide eyes before falling into a fit of giggles, using her free hand to try and smother the sound.

"She made a little bed at the bottom too!" Tikki added, flying over to push Plagg back inside. "Now you can eat cheese and sleep all day!"

"He already does that…" Adrien muttered mostly to himself, a smirk on his lips as an ecstatic Plagg popped his head out.

"KEEP HER!" he shouted at him, already peeling back the wrapper of one of the cheeses, "KEEP HER FOREVER!"

Plagg let himself fall back into his mini sea of cheese, hollering and cheering and even humming a few Christmas carols with a mouth full of food, retiring into the depths of his stocking not to be seen again for the next few hours.

"Seems like he liked the surprise," Marinette chuckled, laying the stocking down gently on her desk so Plagg could root around in peace.

"Do I get one too Marinette?" Tikki chirped, clasping her tiny hands together hopefully.

"Yes of course Tikki, it's over here."

Adrien looked on as Marinette lifted a Ladybug printed one for Tikki to fly inside, unable to contain his amused smile when Tikki resurfaced with a cheer, something small and made of cloth in her hands and a cookie hanging from her mouth.

Adrien walked closer, tilting his head and peering down at the adorable red creature as she inhaled the cookie that was practically gigantic in comparison. After a moment he realized the item she held was a tiny sewn pink onesie type thing with white spots all over.

"I love it Marinette!" Tikki sang, using magic to phase straight into it and posing for the two heroes. "Am I cute? I know I'm cute!"

"You're adorable Tikki," Adrien complimented her, pleased to earn an affectionate nuzzle for his words before Tikki also abandoned them in favor for her snacks.

"She's so nice," Adrien continued, looking up at Marinette. "Plagg can sort of be a hassle."

"Aw he's cute too though," Marinette countered, smiling at him as she set the Ladybug stocking next to Plagg's. "He's got super tiny kitty ears it's _adorable_."

"They might as well be horns," he sighed dramatically, an irritated hiss only just audible from the desk in response making the two of them laugh.

Marinette turned back around to face him, and he was suddenly acutely aware of the fact that they were alone. He felt… exposed was the wrong word but something almost like that. There were no secrets now, he knew her name and she knew his and here they were, being all domestic and getting gifts for their magical companions. And he had no idea what to say.

She went first though, making him a little nervous when she smirked at him. "Okay. So you're Cat Noir."

"Uh yes, already established I should think," he chuckled, still wary at her expression.

"Okay. So you're Cat Noir, which means, un-ironically," she waltzed causally over towards his overnight bag sitting on her floor, which he realized now was slightly open. She reached in, picking up a red t-shirt with a superior grin on her face, saying, "you purchased this 'Bug-Power' T-shirt for recreational use. Miss me that much kitten?"

Her grin widened when he froze in place, heat crawling up his neck as he watched her unfurl the Ladybug themed t-shirt for him to see. Why had he packed that? Why did he do that to himself?

"Uuh, uh I-well _you_ bought my bell to wear!" he countered, crossing his arms and trying to defend himself. Her smirk didn't falter though.

"That's because I was supporting my partner, I'm not so sure _you_ can say the same kitten," she teased, part of her amazed that she could play with Adrien like this but another part understanding it completely. He was Cat after all.

"Y-you said- well you said, 'I'd never say it to his face but he's amazing,' huh? Remember that? Guess you've always been impressed with me my lady." As he spoke he started to regain his confidence, his embarrassment fading as he grinned right back at her, glad to see her looking a little flustered now.

"Well you weren't supposed to be _there_ ," she protested, stomping her foot and glaring at him until he chuckled deeply. He was clearly amused, how had this gotten turned on her so quickly?

"You know a bunch of little stuff makes so much more sense," he said, his tone still playful. "You reminded me of Ladybug all the time, I actually almost guessed it early but I convinced myself to ignore it. Turns out I was right," he grinned at her, flashing his perfect white teeth.

She sighed, still smiling slightly. "I'd like to say I saw it coming but I really didn't. I guess I should have, looking back there was so much pointing that way but I just didn't see it. Guess we're both a bit dense."

"Hey I'm not dense!" he whined, narrowing his eyes when she rolled her own.

"Oh yes you are."

"How so?"

"Doesn't matter," she waved it off, smiling at something he could only guess at. "I'm sure it will come up later anyways, not now though."

"What does _that_ mean?"

"And you said you're not dense." She laughed again, shaking her head and heading over to the hatch. She called over her shoulder, saying "Tikki would you be alright with staying up here with Plagg? You two could catch up and stuff we'll just be doing the stockings with my parents."

"I'll watch him up here!" Tikki replied, her response muffled with cookie and Plagg's own reply completely unintelligible but sounding vaguely like agreement.

"Please behave Plagg," Adrien announced, glad that Tikki was there to keep him in line since he only received a brief view of his kwami popping his head up to stick his tongue out at him.

"Mom is probably waiting for us, let's go be sociable." Marinette smiled at him before heading down, Adrien close behind and tailing her into the kitchen.

"So what is it we're doing?" he asked, following her towards where her parents sat chatting in the living room.

"Today we open stockings and one present from under the tree," she informed him, turning towards her parents who looked up at her with cheerful smiles. "Ready?"

"Yes!" Sabine answered, putting down her drink and rising to her feet. "We were just waiting for you two, Adrien sweetie go ahead and sit down on the couch, you too Marinette. I'll pick the gifts."

Adrien moved to obey, sitting on the sofa and watching as the parents moved about. He looked on as Sabine walked over towards their beautiful Christmas tree filled with ornaments, and with a wave of joy he wondered which were Ladybug's. He saw the spool of thread and the pencil she had mentioned before, but also one of a dolphin and a bunny and a bunch of other things. It almost looked silly, all the random things weighing it down, but in the end it looked beautiful.

"Excuse me Sabine," Adrien piped up, his hands on his lap as he leaned forward with interest, "but which ornaments go to who? Marinette told me about your tradition and I was curious."

To his surprise the mother seemed overjoyed that he asked, her entire face lighting up as she abandoned her search for presents in favor of educating him.

He loved it, it was amazing it was like everything on the tree had a story to it that was fun and full of life. The dolphin went to Sabine it would seem, it was her favorite animal and the bunny went to Marinette. "She's always loved bunnies, ever since she was a little girl."

Tom chimed in from the kitchen, approaching them from behind with warm mugs of chocolate. "When she was just learning to talk she couldn't say bunny, so she just called them hops instead."

"Hops!" Adrien echoed with joy, looking over at a slightly red Marinette. "That's adorable."

"Watch it alley cat," she muttered so only he could hear, giving him a playful glare. He just grinned, thoroughly entertained as he took the hot chocolate from Tom with a thank you.

"This one is a little airplane, it goes to Tom. You see when he was younger…" and the stories went on and on, everyone laughing and smiling until their cheeks hurt. Adrien genuinely felt like he was going to burst, the laughter warming his insides even more than the coco. Eventually though Tom reminded Sabine of the task at hand and she returned to picking presents. When it came time to select which present Tom would open that day she shot a glance over at Adrien, smirking about something before selecting a soft looking package loosely wrapped in festive paper.

"You can have this one honey, it's from me. Adrien can have one of the ones we got him, Marinette you can have this one," she handed over a heavy looking square box that took up most of her lap. She also unhooked the stockings from where they hung on the wall and handed them to their respective owners before selecting a present of her own.

Adrien took his present, a small thin box, and eagerly reached out for his stocking, inspecting the light blue and dart blue of the design with a slightly open mouth. It had his name hand stitched into the top of it, the bulk of it being diagonal stripes of light and dark blue while the fold at the top was white with dark blue stitching. Marinette had made it herself he could tell, and he held it gently.

Marinette watched his expression as he reviewed her work and her eyes softened as she watched the depth of emotion that crossed his features. When he looked up at her it was with a small smile and a grateful nod, and she smiled warmly in return.

"Alright children," Sabine spoke, breaking through their little moment, "start with the stockings!"

Adrien waited until Marinette moved first before peering into his own, gasping lightly when he found it was overflowing with caramels. Stuck between the carefully wrapped sweets, they looked homemade, were nice black leather gloves to match his jacket and a few random lose pieces of paper. He pulled the gloves into his lap, marveling at the quality before pulling out one of the pages, furrowing his brow as he inspected it.

"They're recipes," Tom offered to counter the boy's confusion, Adrien looking up with a bewildered expression. "I don't know if you bake at all but these ones are rather nice, favorites of mine and Sabine's. We figured at some point today or tomorrow Marinette could teach you how to make a few of them!"

Marinette gasped, squealing out, "That's an amazing idea papa! Adrien I'll teach you how to use everything downstairs it will be fun!"

Adrien was stunned, holding the papers close to him now that he knew they were personal recipes to their family's bakery, and with a slightly stunned but overjoyed voice he said, "Y-yeah! That sounds awesome, thank you so much!"

He spent another few moments staring at the pages before looking over curiously at Marinette to see what she had gotten in her cute white and pink stocking.

"I've got some new headbands and a bracelet! And some chocolates, want some?" she held out the stocking, offering him some of the treats but he shook his head.

"I'm fine with all this caramel thanks, did you guys make these?"

"Sabine did," Tom answered, happily munching on some peppermint he had found in his. Sabine herself was enjoying some small green candies he didn't recognize, humming happily.

"If you're ready you can open your presents now," she finally announced, Marinette opening hers quickly in her curiosity, almost jumping out of her skin when she saw what it was.

Adrien also grew very still, staring at her present and forgetting about his own as he watched Marinette slowly start to panic. It was metal cover plates for a sewing machine, a way to personalize it with a pattern or such, but it was the fact that it was Ladybug patterned that was so unnerving.

"Do you like it sweetheart?" Sabine finally asked, happy with the gift. "You and Alya have always been such big fans of Ladybug's we thought you would enjoy it!"

There was a beat of silence before both Adrien and Marinette breathed out heavy sighs of relief, laughing in an almost giddy way at the false alarm.

"O-of course momma thank you! I love it yes, of course I'm a huge fan," she laughed her way out of it, smiling happily at her parents before giving Adrien a look that said, 'Oh my god' when they looked away.

He chuckled, winking at her before returning to his own gift. It was signed from Tom and Sabine and it was still utterly surreal to him that he had gotten anything at all but there it was, something just for him. When he opened it he shouted in joy.

"Legend of Zelda Originals collection?!" he asked, on his feet and meeting Tom's cheerful gaze.

"Yup! Figured you hadn't properly played the original ones, or that you at least didn't have a console version to play. Figured you and I could spend some time showing it to Marinette I remember all the secrets."

"Yes absolutely thank you so much sir WOW!" he wondered a little too late if he was being childish, bouncing around like that in their living room but they all laughed and smiled so brightly it just made him want to do it more. Something bought for him with him in mind directly related to _his_ interests it was- oh god it was amazing. It was so much.

Marinette saw the switch of emotions as he sat back down, beaming at the game case with something close to tears in his eyes. She knew if he could help it he would keep it all inside, but this was probably a lot to take in. She watched as he took out his phone, snapping a picture of the case and furiously typing out a text message with an excited grin. When he caught her looking he said, "Nino is going to flip out when he sees what I got, it's so awesome I can't believe it!"

She laughed, also snapping a picture of her gift for Alya as well as a sneaky pic of Adrien beaming down at his gloves and game, happily eating caramel in his goofy cat sweater.

'M- He's having a great time, it's awesome' she captioned it, sending it quickly and turning her attention towards her father.

Sabine was recording which was strange, so Tom was immediately on guard, giving her a wary smirk as he started to unwrap it.

"Any particular reason you feel the need to record this hun?" he asked with a chuckle, getting through the tissue paper as she responded.

"It's just the most amazing coincidence in the world, it's perfect," was all she said, before Tom was blinking down at a large Christmas sweater.

A moment later he was howling with laughter, turning it around and saying, "Adrien we match!"

It was the exact same cat pun sweater that Marinette had bought for Cat Noir, just several sizes up. Literally the exact same one.

"I can't believe it!" Adrien shouted, back on his feet and laughing just as hard as Tom was. The man was quick to put it on, moving in front of the Christmas tree and modeling it for everyone with Adrien at his side, gleefully mimicking the poses.

Marinette was beside herself with laughter, trying to blink the tears from her eyes as she watched the two of them goof around, flexing their muscles and laughing at each other while her mother switched between video and getting as many pictures as possible. It was hilarious and completely perfect, the sight of her friend and crime fighting partner being an absolute dork with her father was just too much, she could hardly breathe.

Adrien looked so happy and content in each of the photos taken that Sabine couldn't pick a favorite and just elected to keep them all, grinning as she flipped through them.

"Aren't you gonna open yours?" Adrien finally asked, crossing to where Sabine had put her gift down and handing it back to her.

"Oh yes! Thank you sweetheart this is from you isn't it?"

"Yes Mam," he confirmed, smiling at her in a way only a genuinely eager boy could and she loved it.

She put her phone away and admired the elegant bag it came in before reaching inside, sorting through the decorative paper until she felt something hard and cool in her fingers.

Sabine gasped when she pulled out the decorative silver metal hair comb, meant to be a hair accessory and shaped to look like a koi fish. It was bent and cast in a swimming motion, its body decorated with gold lining to make the scales shine and reflective glass for the eye.

"Adrien," she breathed, setting the bag down so she could turn it over in her fingers, "it's so beautiful. Where did you get this?"

"J-just a small antique shop," he answered, relieved at her positive reaction. "Marinette and I found it, it's supposed to be very old. I think it's originally meant as a decorative piece for a formal event like a wedding."

"Yes," she filled in, turning it over with a fond smile, "it's a tradition item. Adrien I'm so touched, thank you very much."

Adrien gasped when he was pulled into a tight hug but was quick to return it, grinning over at Marinette who returned the smile.

Sabine spent another few minutes fawning over the piece before rushing off to fix it in her hair, returning to model it for everyone. They all agreed she looked beautiful, though Tom added cutesy remarks of, "She always is," here and there to make her smile. Eventually Marinette stood, heaving her present into her arms.

"Adrien I want to go fix it on my sewing machine will you help me?"

He looked up from his stash of caramels, admittedly starting to feel a tad sick from how much he had already eaten. He gathered his own things into his hands and hurried to say, "Yes! Let's go," before following her up towards her room, bouncing all the way.

As soon as the hatch shut Adrien darted ahead to show his gifts to Plagg, who was also feeling sick from his unchecked indulgence. There were string cheese wrappers ALL OVER the desk, Tikki passed out in a cookie coma nearby with chocolate still on her face.

"You guys are unreal," Marinette laughed, setting her things down and checking her phone, smiling at the texts she had from Alya.

'Alya- girl not only is this the most amazing thing for you but you're also making him really happy. He's never had this before, you should feel really proud. If that boy doesn't love you yet girl he doesn't deserve you.'

She snickered at the message, looking up at Adrien as he animatedly explained why his gift was so awesome since Plagg was too full to escape.

He was glowing with happiness, rocking on his heels as he described the journey of Link and why it was so cool with childlike wonder in his eyes. After a few moments he asked if he could play some music on her computer and in a flurry of blushing and teasing laughs she found herself swept up in his infectious joy. Eventually, with enough jokes and theatrical bows, they were dancing.

It wasn't anything so formal or practiced, they were just dancing together, laughing whenever the other would fumble a step. Adrien reached out with a wink, catching her hands and spinning her in place, his heart soaring as he watched the way she twirled with grace. She really must have been a ballerina, but the thought was barely formed when she was spinning him too and he laughed at the hilarity.

"No I spin you, you don't spin me!" he protested through his laughter, but she just grinned at him mischievously.

"Well watch me kitty!" and she spun his again, catching him when he teetered and falling into a fit of giggles as the song went on. It was something bouncy and festive, but it didn't really matter. It was just so much fun.

She was dancing with Cat Noir, laughing her lungs apart as they moved foolishly throughout the room, always in sync. How utterly unreal it was… that she was just being silly with Adrien.

But there he was, smiling so purely and contently she almost wanted to cry.

She didn't though… she just laughed, bouncing through the room while he sloppily taught her ballroom steps to the tune of a Christmas carol.

And the world had never seemed more right.


	7. Chapter 7

Sabine had always been a somewhat inconsistent sleeper, so for her to slowly wake up at any random hour of the night was not entirely uncommon. As she got older, she stopped trying to go back to bed right away. She knew it never worked, so instead she decided to go check that things were ready for Christmas morning and see if the kids had ever made it to bed. When she had last left them they were wrapped up again in their video game, sitting side by side so close that their knees touched and laughing at each other. Adrien had bid her goodnight along with her daughter, promising to keep it down since she was going to bed, but she just laughed and told them to have fun.

Sabine gently swung her feet over the side of the bed, careful not to disturb her husband who was still fast asleep next to her. Her eyes fell first on the clock displaying the time, announcing that it was now about two in the morning, then on the small silver hair comb lying on the bedside table. With a smile she lifted it into her hands, admiring her present again before setting it back down to go check on the boy who gave it to her.

She shuffled tiredly into the hall, blinking at the bright light shifting and playing off of the walls as she got closer to the living room until finally she saw something that made her heart melt.

In the living room the TV was still on, showing a character standing still in the middle of a town. The screen was dimmed slightly from disuse, and as she got closer she couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of two kids passed out side by side on the living room floor.

The lights of the Christmas tree shined over their faces as they slept, the both of them tangled up in a sea of quilts and blankets that tied them together even more than their interlaced legs. The controller dangled from Marinette's hand sitting in the small space between the two teens, and Sabine wondered when in their playing had they both fallen asleep. The game wasn't even paused, their hero just abandoned to stand aimlessly in a town while his puppeteers dozed on the hard floor together. Dozens of empty caramel wrappers were woven into the blankets and a few empty soda cans dotted the floor, making the mother sigh and shake her head. They would have stomach aches for sure, and she knew she couldn't let them have sore backs as well.

A little regrettably Sabine knelt quietly besides them before reaching over and shaking their shoulders gently.

Adrien to his credit jolted awake, bleary eyes blinking up at the woman in drowsy confusion. Marinette was much harder to stir, but after a few moments she finally cracked on unwilling eye open. Since it was the way her face was pointed the first person she saw was Adrien, incredibly close to her and staring at her with the same sort of haze in his eyes.

"Merry Christmas…" he slurred after a moment, trying to bury his head in the pillows again before Sabine dragged him back out. He made a vague noise of disapproval that had Sabine giggling before he looked again at Marinette, who as now wide awake with a blush on her face that was visible even in the dark.

Why?

…

Oh.

The two of them were literally tangled in each other, he was surprised they weren't straight up cuddling even though they might as well have been. However in his sleep deprived state of mind it was easier to just sleepily grin at her, managing to get a wink out before she scoffed and started pulling away. If the mother hadn't been standing directly over him he might have been confident enough to reach out and stop her, but even his impulse driven low power brain wasn't that brave.

"Go on up you two. Come on, I'll clean this up."

It took a little work but eventually Sabine got the two of them on their feet, Marinette helping Adrien up since he was still mostly unconscious. He leaned on her heavily, wrapping his blanket around him and bundling up a pillow in his hands so he looked like a sleepy toddler.

"Where am I going?" he finally asked in a voice thick with sleep, stumbling a little when Marinette gently tugged him.

"You're sleeping on my lounge, my parents will wake you up otherwise," the designer reminded him, unable to help a smile at how disheveled he looked.

"Staaairs though," he mumbled, trudging forward without Marinette's assistance despite his complaint. He was starting to wake up and part of his brain was now embarrassed to have been essentially curled up to her and caught by her mother.

"Get some sleep," Sabine chuckled, starting to tidy up the living room as the kids wandered up the stairs and into Marinette's room.

Adrien slumped down onto the lounge the second he spotted it, scooting forward like a worm until his face was buried in the pillows.

Marinette giggled, absent mindedly patting his hair before heading towards her own bed. The second the pressure of her hand left his head he looked up, pouting even though she couldn't see and watching her work her way up the steps to her bed. From where he was he could watch her climb and stretch, shifting her blankets around to get comfortable.

"My lady?"

She stopped, looking down to where he lay. Through her windows soft wavering light from the street outside filled the room, being broken up and dimmed by falling snow. It was like a dozen tiny shadows flitting across his face as he looked up at her, smiling gently as he blinked the tiredness from his eyes.

"Yes?" she replied, grinning back at him.

"Merry Christmas," he murmured again, settling into the cushion of the lounge and looking around him at her room. "And…thanks again, for letting me be here."

He watched the snow fall outside for a moment more before her silence urged him to look at her again. Her expression was…soft, and gentle as she smiled, looking away at nothing in particular.

"Well…it's where you're meant to be kitty cat," she said in a light tone, trying to play it off like it was nothing at all.

"By your side?" he offered with a very Cat Noir tone, the smirk obvious in his voice. "Yes, I think so too."

He chuckled at his words but felt something like a firework exploding in his heart when he saw her giggle and look down at him with a smile before turning towards her sheets. "Merry Christmas, Adrien," was all she offered, no sort of denial or roll of the eyes, just Merry Christmas.

"M-merry…" he whispered to himself, his heart racing a little unevenly as he watched her climb into bed. He had basically just said they were meant to be together and she hadn't said no. She didn't say _yes_ but she didn't say no and she didn't roll her eyes either or even scoff; she just very strategically said nothing about it, which means it was something she was thinking about right? Like maybe she's been considering it too, and just didn't know what to say so she didn't say no when _he_ said it but maybe he should say it again just to be sure? But he couldn't; if he pushed it to far she would leave and then she'd never be with him and he really couldn't deal with that now that he knew who she was, well he couldn't deal with it before but _now_ he really couldn't deal with it because Ladybug was perfect but the more he watched Marinette talk and joke and play and move and dance, the more he knew they were the same person but more _complete_ now that he knew it. She hugged him and made him feel welcome and offered him a family and told him he _belonged there_ and- he stopped.

He was going to drive himself nuts, he was already nearly having a heart attack in her room in the middle of the night if he had a crisis of the heart right then on top of it he would probably scream. The crisis was there wasn't one, there was absolutely no reason he shouldn't admit to himself that he utterly lo- stop. Stop, stop, not now, it's way too soon, she's your _friend_ first and foremost and you **will not** do this right now.

He watched the shadows above her bed and he could see that she was still awake, probably on her phone judging by the light. Wasn't she tired? She had seemed pretty awake, and now there was no way he was going to be sleeping. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his own phone, trying desperately to push his affections from his mind. It didn't matter that she was completely perfect, she hadn't shown interest in Cat Noir so- well. He stopped again in the thought, thinking of the whole picture. Marinette had sort of shown interest in Adrien.

Ugh. Stop, it doesn't _matter_ right now.

He opened her contact, taking some time to admire the selfie they had taken in the snow before typing out a message.

'A- Not going to sleep?'

He sent it and waited, smirking to himself as he watched the light above her bed waver and flash. Then he heard her chuckle.

After a moment his phone vibrated and he read her reply.

'M- I got a little woken up, and you? I'm assuming no since you're texting me from ten feet away.'

He laughed quietly to himself before discarding the blanket surrounding him and getting to his feet without a sound. He left his phone behind, choosing to pad silently up to her steps without it. He managed to make it all the way to the top before she spotted him, yelping in surprise and dropping her phone on her face.

He was still crouched in place on the top step but he had to grab the guardrail to keep from falling over with laughter, glad for the grip once she threw a pillow roughly at his face.

"You scared me!"

"I was only ten feet away," he reminded her with a smirk, "you're just unobservant."

She huffed sitting up and scowling at hi for a second before saying, "Well we are both awake now, want to try and sleep or do something else?"

"Hmm," Adrien deliberated. Now that he had thoroughly woken himself up with his wandering thoughts of love and- he cut it off. He had a good idea.

"Tikki and Plagg have been cooped up all day, care to check the city? It should wear us out enough to get some sleep eventually."

Before Marinette could respond a tiny black blur zipped into view, his glowing eyes wide as he latched on to Adrien's face.

"Please YES! Yes, let's leave, I can't take all this pink anymore and Tikki keeps trying to get me to eat her stupid cookies!"

"Cookies aren't STUPID," another small voice retaliated, Tikki flying into view. "You would like them if you just tried one!"

"No, I won't do it!" Plagg shouted, zipping towards Adrien's ring and knocking the metal with his fist like he was begging to be let in.

Adrien watched him for a little with an amused smirk before saying to Marinette, "Well, I guess I'm going out for a run either way, care to join me?"

She giggled into her hand, leveling him with a very Ladybug gaze that made his skin feel hot before saying, "Yeah, that sounds fun, bundle up though, it's freezing outside."

He grinned at her, his teeth so white they caught what little light there was. "Lucky for me I've got a very nice coat to wear that should do the trick."

"And I have a beanie that will do nicely," she snickered, watching as Adrien leapt from the raised platform her bed rested on and dashed to his bag. He transformed in a bright flash of green light that swelled and filled the room before there stood Cat Noir, grinning at her as he slipped on his coat. "Looks good even with the cat ears," Marinette chuckled, following him down to the lower level.

"Everything looks good with the cat ears because _I_ look good with the cat ears," he replied, watching a little in awe as she transformed as well. Something about watching Ladybug slip on a coat and his gifts to Marinette made him jumpy, bouncing his weight as he pulled his coat close to him. He jumped in surprise when she walked over and threw his scarf around his neck, tying it tight before saying, "Let's go, kitty."

"Y-yes mam," he stuttered, and to his delight she just laughed. _Focus_ , he reminded himself, trying to peel his mind away from obsessing over her laugh and her smile and just…everything. _Focus_.

He was trying to pick. What was his greatest moment, when was he at his happiest? He had a few scattered memories of times with his mother, his joy at being allowed to go to public school, when he first became Cat Noir. Now however, as time went on, more and more of his candidates for happiest memory had the same girl in it. It had her. In one form another, it all had her.

Was it when he first met Ladybug? No, probably not. As fantastic and amazing as that had been it wasn't all of her, so much was still confusing and obscure. Was it finding out who she really was? Maybe, but it was also such a terrifying moment that it was hard to say for sure. He slowly realized it was in smaller moments, small meaningful moments. When she reached out and put a gentle hand on his knee as he cried over his father's betrayal. She wasn't whole then but she had started to be, started to seem more complete to him the more he got to know her. When she leaned into him as they played Windwaker for the first time, or when she chased him away from her snacks with a laugh. When she looked down at him when she tackled him to the sidewalk with eyes that showed so much emotion and honesty and care and respect and- he hesitated to say love but there was that too. Not quite the love he sought after, but still love. Love for a partner, love for a friend, joy that he had come. Maybe it was when she met him outside of his house, bringing light to such a dark and cold place, making him feel warm. On the topic of warmth maybe it was even farther back, when she had first given him the jacket or shown him how much she considered him. Maybe it was when she bought his bell or maybe it was just when she laughed. Every time she laughed or smiled, those were candidates as well.

Or maybe it had been the AM hours of Christmas morning, where he chased her over rooftops and sang her silly songs until she started to throw snowballs at him. Maybe it was when she swung and leapt to his side, talking about the beauty of Paris in winter like it could even somehow compare to her. Maybe it was when she called him Adrien, even when he had the mask. Maybe it was when he called her Marinette, maybe it was when he called her 'lady'. Maybe Princess.

Or maybe it was _this_.

He shook his head to draw himself from his speculation, responding too late to a question Marinette had asked. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

She giggled, her Santa hat still sat on her head as she stood in the bakery's kitchen. "I had asked if you were listening but I guess that answers that," she laughed, rolling her eyes and settling her weight on one hip that somehow still carried all the sass of a superhero just without the spots.

"No, I'm listening, I just got distracted, what were you saying? I promise I'll pay attention now." He smiled at her in a pleading way, clasping his hands together and bouncing in place until she giggled and covered her face with one hand.

"You're so silly," she said a little breathlessly, peeking from between her fingers to see him grinning ridiculously wide as he smashed his own Santa hat over his head.

"No, I'm as serious as they come! Let's make these cookies. I am so ready."

He stood with his legs spread, hands on his hips and proudly displaying his borrowed apron from Tom that said, "Kiss the Baker" on it, one he had picked deliberately with a waggle of his eyebrow.

"Oh my god," she muttered, a laugh bubbling out as she turned back to the recipe. "Okay these are just simple cookies, the same ones I took you on the roof. Let's get everything we'll need."

"On it!" Adrien declared, snatching the list from her hands and charging into the store room with her hot on his heels, the two of them laughing and racing to get the right ingredients.

Yeah, maybe it was this.

It was so unreal, how happy he could be when she was there. It was the perfect storm, everything to make someone smile all thrown into one place until he felt like he would burst. It was Christmas Day spent in the home of people who genuinely liked him and cared for him. He could act silly and sing and make jokes to his heart's content without anyone making him feel bad or childish; sure, Lady teased him, but he never once felt foolish no matter how much he made a fool of himself. He had a funny hat, everything smelt delicious, he was wearing his new favorite sweater underneath his new favorite apron, and _she_ was there. She danced in place while she thought sometimes, her face furrowed adorably as she examined the recipe. When she looked for things she would twirl on the ball of her foot, her own mood so infectiously bright it was like a vicious circle. The happier she was the happier he was, and the happier he was the happier she was. They built off each other until they both felt incredibly warm, sometimes catching each other's eye as they rooted around and laughing at nothing at all. He was already fairly set on dubbing 'making cookies with Marinette' as his happiest moment yet when they made to walk back into the kitchen and stopped dead in their tracks, eyes glued to the small bundled plant hanging from the doorframe.

"Oh my god that was so my dad," Marinette blurted out loud, mostly on impulse. Her voice was high and breathy, her entire body felt like it was burning. How could her father do this to her? She knew it was him, hung in just a way so they would only notice it as they were heading back. It was so awkward but there it was, mistletoe, and they were both staring right at it.

"I-I'm s-sorry don't even- just ignore that he's ridiculous I-" she was stumbling over her words and starting to panic, and Adrien, who was in much the same state, was confused. Was she flustered because she didn't want to kiss him or because she assumed he didn't want to kiss her? Because if it was the latter, hell no.

"W-well tis the season, huh, my lady?"

Marinette looked up so quickly the bauble of her Santa hat flung around her face thumping audibly against the back of her neck. She looked up into Adrien's face as he blushed, rubbing at his neck but trying for a charming smirk anyways. He looked silly in a Santa hat and cat sweater with that "Kiss the Baker" apron that was way too accurate right now, but he still looked incredibly handsome. Leave it to Adrien Agreste to pull off _that_ look, and so well that it made her brain panic. However it was the blush she noticed most, smirking at her to disguise something else, ready to play off a rejection if it came to that.

He was hoping for it.

Of course he was this was still Cat Noir, but… it was also still Adrien. Adrien was nervous, hot in the face and unable to totally look her in the eye, choosing instead to examine the plant above them, but Cat Noir was still flirtatious enough to crack a joke about it. Brave enough to hope.

He was being respectful, had been ever since he arrived. He made a few jokes but he was mostly just her friend, overjoyed at her family's hospitality. He had told her of his feelings for Ladybug in the past, she knew that he harbored somewhat of a crush for her but she had thought that maybe…it had…changed? Maybe not faded but changed, like hers had. Her crush on Adrien was not gone not by a long shot, but it had changed. She was realizing now that maybe it just changed to include… _all_ of him.

Because how adorable did Cat Noir look, his foot thumping anxiously against the store room floor. He might not have the mask and ears, but he was there, there in the flash of his cheeky smile.

"Tis the season," she replied, her voice much steadier and more sure. _Playful_ , even.

"What?" he answered, his eyes shooting down to hers, widened in surprise. What had she said? Was that a yes?

It was when she had gathered a small handful of his sweater and apron into her hands so she could pull him down that he decided that yup, that was a yes. It was a yes and she had said yes and- and then she was kissing him.

It was meant to be short. Short, simple, sweet, and playful. A mistletoe kiss. Her heart had been racing, frantically demanding her brain to tell it if it was really going through with this but she had felt a surge of sudden confidence. She would be the one to fluster him for once, the tables would turn and he would be the stuttering mess but…but then...

She pulled him down, her lips finding his in one smooth motion, their softness and warmth making every thought go silent. It was just meant to be one, but there was something that changed. It was only a second, where their lips pressed together and her eyes slid closed, but it had been so soft. So gentle. She hadn't really intended it that way, she hadn't really intended anything she was just going to kiss him and pull away but it had instinctively been so…gentle. It was only meant to be a second. But then he kissed back.

He moved, returning the kiss in a way neither of them had expected. He had still been processing it, still working through that it was happening at all but there had been no moment of shock once the contact was made, only response. It was like a fact, as strange as that is to say. Their contact was a fact in time, something true and undeniable, so unmovable that his body was wired to react, to pull him in and guide him through it.

She was soft. And it was warm.

Later he would worry that he had gone too far, made it something he wasn't supposed to but just then neither of them minded. And that was…amazing.

Ladybug was- she was kissing him and he kissed back and that was okay.

God she was so warm…

Marinette pulled away, gasping for breath even though the kiss had only been a few seconds long, breathless for an entirely different reason. In those few short seconds Adrien's hands had shifted, one on the small of her back and the other spanning the space between her jaw and neck, cupping it gently. Their eyes opened and they stared at each other, Marinette slowly noticing that her hand was splayed across his chest but not pushing him away, the other resting on his hip. There was a second where neither of them reacted, just staring into each other's eyes, then a second more where a ferocious blush creeped across their faces, then another for them to fling themselves to opposite ends of the doorway. It was such a small space but they both separated instantly, clinging to the doorframe and staring at each other with bright red faces.

"Uh- uh I- u-um," Adrien was a mess, his heart pounding so frantically that he felt like he was going to collapse. Every inch of his skin felt like a live wire ready to electrocute both of them if he moved because now he knew. Now he knew what she felt like, how s-she- holy hell.

Just be her friend huh? Good freaking luck _now_ , asshole.

He just stared at her, he had no idea what to do he had made it so much more intimate, was she angry? Was she upset? Was she- she…she was laughing.

She giggled delicately into her hand, her face still hot but her body slightly more relaxed as she looked at him.

"How very in the spirit," she giggled, a little breathlessly still her face still a bright red but a smile on her face. "That counts as a gift kitty."

"Can I have another then?" he found himself asking, a grin on his face but the hope a little too real. What was he doing did he seriously just say that to her?

 _Now_ she rolled her eyes, laughing at him and setting her hands on her hip before shaking her head. "Greedy, greedy," she replied, winking at him before walking into the kitchen as was their original intention. Internally her heart was beating a million beats per minute and she felt like she was going to shake apart because **that** , that was not a mistletoe kiss that was- that was- oh _wow_.

That was a kiss with Adrien, and it had been very, **very** good.

He followed behind, a little delayed and a little unfocused as he picked up their discarded ingredients (which they had dropped a little unceremoniously). He had just kissed Ladybug, a proper kiss, not even a little peck, and it was very real. He could still feel it, the soft pressure of her lips and the way her body molded to his, how her fingers spread out flat against his chest and the gentle heat of her hand resting on his hip, guiding him forward pulling him in. He could still feel the heat of her back on his fingertips and the softness of her face. He could still feel how it almost felt like a release, a snap of tension, like a sigh.

Wow.

"Adrien? Focus, come on, cookies now." Marinette was looking at him, her voice a little shaky and her face still flushed but ultimately faring better than he was. It probably had to do somewhat with the confidence boost she got from watching him nearly pass out from a little kiss, admittedly it made her feel powerful even if she was almost freaking out herself.

"Cookies, right yup absolutely," he said in a rush, tripping over himself to set everything down. He was chanting in his mind as she started to measure things out. _Friends friends friends friends be respectful don't stare friends friends be respectful oh god._ They were friends, she was his best friend. She was amazing, talented, understanding, and kind. She cared about him, how he was doing and if he was okay.

Where was he going with this? Was this meant to dissuade him from getting distracted cause it really wasn't, in fact it made it worse way worse.

However as scatter brained as he was, he was happy. Happy was an understatement he felt like he was going to fly away if he wasn't careful. He was practically hovering. As time went on and it started to set in how _fantastic_ this girl was and how he had just **kissed** her, how he kissed the girl of his dreams and _she started it_ and- just, he could hardly believe it. He would chuckle to himself randomly, start laughing out of nowhere and bouncing in place and hopping around. He looked like an idiot but he didn't care, because this was it. This was his happiest moment, he was almost positive now. It summed up everything, every amazing thing all tied together in a beautiful scene for him to enjoy. There was Marinette, humming to herself the theme from Windfall Island as she moved fluidly through the bakery. Her necklace flashed every time she turned and each time she looked up at him, she would smile.

"Merry Christmas, my lady!" he announced randomly, sliding up to her and confidently grabbing her by the hand. She yelped in surprise and he spun her in place, strategically tipping her off balance so she would have to cling to him to remain upright. Instead of getting annoyed though, she laughed, blushing fiercely and looking up at him.

"Merry Christmas, alley cat."

They worked together in the kitchen, Adrien contributing in the form of catastrophic mistakes that Marinette would then have to fix but she didn't seem to mind. He was actually trying as well he was just a disaster in the kitchen, he had no idea how to do anything so he ended up goofing off a lot. Somewhere around the step where they had to roll the dough into balls he felt a nudge in his pocket.

"What's up Plagg?" he asked aloud confidently since the only one there was Marinette, and it struck him once again how much of a relief it was to have someone in on the secret.

He looked down into his pocket to see Plagg pushing his phone out into the open. "Answer your phone, it's buzzing too much!"

Adrien pulled a face that betrayed his unease but when he lifted his phone into his hands and unlocked the screen he laughed in relief, because every message was from Nino.

'N- Merry Christmas dude!'

'N- How is Marinette's what are you up to?'

'N- Are you having a good time, what are you guys doing?'

'N- Adrien?'

'N- Dude if you don't answer I'm just gonna assume you're making out with her.'

Marinette looked up from the cookies when she heard Adrien snickering, one hand trying to smother the sound but his other clutching his phone.

"What's up?"

Adrien met her gaze and he seemed close to tears of laughter before he showed her the message. She blinked at it in confusion for a moment before abruptly barking in laughter, bending over and holding onto the counter for support.

"W-well," she finally managed between laughs, looking up at him with a red-faced grin, "I guess he wasn't wrong?"

Adrien blushed slightly at the comment but continued to laugh, before his entire expression leveled out in sudden revelation, then erupted back into a mischievous grin.

"Can I screw with Nino, please? Please it will be so funny."

Marinette raised an eyebrow at him, straightening up to cross her arms. "What did you have in mind?"

Adrien started to type something out, Plagg carefully looking around before floating up to his shoulder to oversee what was happening.

"No, no," Plagg cackled, "Say 'Well you're not totally wrong,' it flows better."

"Oh go- what are you doing?" Marinette demanded, but Adrien had already sent it when he showed it to her. It just read:

'A- Sorry for not getting back to you but, well, you're not totally wrong.'

"Oh my god Adrien!" Marinette squealed, but the idea of their friend getting that message was such a horrid mix of hilarious and mortifying that she wasn't sure how to respond.

Adrien was going to say something when his phone buzzed in his hand, the response so immediate that he was already laughing before he had even read it.

'N- What does that mean!?'

Adrien was laughing so hard that he could hardly type, Marinette a blushing bouncing mess behind him as he did.

"Let's see if we can get the phone to fall," he proposed between laughs, finishing his response and showing it to Marinette.

'A- God bless Mistletoe.'

"Too much?" he asked, acknowledging that Marinette looked horrified, but to his delight she shook her head.

"No it's hilarious he's just going to lose his mind."

"I'm taking that as permission!" he exclaimed, pressing the send button and placing his phone on the counter top. Then he crossed his arms and waited.

There was a pause, where nothing happened at all, then all at once the phone started vibrating like crazy.

Adrien and Marinette were laughing hysterically, watching through their tears as the phone inched closer and closer to the edge. There was even a phone call that drove it the last few inches before it plummeted to the ground, Adrien having to dive to catch it.

"Oh no, Adrien _my phone as well_ ," Marinette giggled breathlessly, holding out her now desperately vibrating phone with Alya's contact on the screen.

"Man he told her **fast**!"

Marinette's phone buzzed more persistently and she giggled helplessly when she saw it was a phone call.

"Should I answer?"

"No, no let them hang for a little, we can talk to them later," he chuckled, wedging his phone between a few items on the counter to keep it from escaping and enjoying the clanging ring as it tried to skitter away.

"Our friends are going to go nuts," she sighed, shaking her head at the ridiculousness that was her life just then.

"I know, it's _so funny_ ," Adrien snickered, falling back into his fit of giggles every time his phone went off. "Nino will get tired eventually."

"Not Alya," Marinette replied, just when the house phone went off.

"Is that her?" Adrien asked, jogging over to read the contact info and discovering that it was indeed Alya.

Marinette sighed again, readjusting her Santa hat in an almost nervous gesture. "She'll call my parents next if I don't answer, I'll keep it vague."

Marinette crossed to the phone right when it was on its last ring, taking a deep breathe before pulling it off the receiver.

"Hello?"

" _MARINETTE OH MY GOD WHAT!_ "

"Hey Alya," Marinette chuckled anxiously, holding the phone a little ways away from her ear.

" _Nino just texted me is that real or did he make that up? DID YOU REALLY!?_ "

"Well it was mistletoe and that is what you do with mistletoe," she responded vaguely, watching as Adrien clamped his hands over his mouth to keep from laughing too loud. Marinette wondered quietly if this was heaven or hell.

" _DID YOU SERIOUSLY KISS ADRIEN UNDER THE MISTLETOE YES OR NO_!?"

Marinette sighed, emptying her lungs before drawing in a long shaky breath.

"Yes."

" _OH MY GOD."_

Adrien watched as Marinette bowed her head until it was resting on the countertop, thumping it gently against the surface again and again as Alya ranted and cheered. It was beyond hilarious and he probably wasn't helping her embarrassment by winking at her any time she looked up at him.

This was mortifying to endure, but there was also a hot nameless emotion buried beneath it all, making her blush and smile even as she continued to gently hit her head against the counter.

Once Alya realized she wasn't going to be getting much out of Marinette she told her to enjoy the rest of her Christmas, with an obvious insinuation behind it before hanging up. Marinette dropped the phone roughly on the receiver and groaned, looking up when Adrien patted her hair.

"There, there" he said soothingly, obviously entertained by the whole mess he had created, "if it makes you feel better I've got like a hundred texts from Nino to sort through."

"They are so gonna think we're dating now," Marinette sighed, laughing quietly as she returned to their abandoned cookies.

She didn't think much of the silence at first before she heard hesitantly, "W-well I can think of worse things."

She couldn't help her sharp inhale, spinning around and almost slipping on the tile as she did so, staring at Adrien with wide eyes. He was red, and she imagined she was much the same though she stared right at him while he looked anywhere but. He grinned and laughed like it was a joke but his inability to maintain eye contact gave him away as a nervous wreck, his flush creeping down his neck and his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed.

He stood at the opposite end of the bakery's kitchen near his still buzzing phone, and for a while the vibration was the only sound she could hear.

She didn't really think before she spoke, the words falling out in a rush that was disconnected from the better half of her brain, said on pure impulse.

"Cookies first, kitten."

She turned her face away from him before she could see him react, screaming internally at what she had let slip so randomly. She stared at the mounds of cookie dough without really seeing them, the back of her neck tingling as she prayed for death.

Adrien was frozen, choking on air as he stared at her back. Cookies _first,_ kitten. That's what she had said, she had said **_first_** , as if to imply that there was something else after it. Something else to come, something else to consider. _Cookies first_ , what did that mean!? What came next?! _She didn't say yes but she didn't say no, does that mean_ _ **maybe**_?!

Jesus Christ, he wasn't sure he could do this, because he wanted so desperately for it to mean maybe.

Please, please mean maybe.

The memory of her kiss was forefront in his mind, the possibility of earning it again one day just- he-

Cookies first, Adrien. Finish the cookies.

He moved robotically at first, fumbling hands trying to assist an equally flustered Marinette, but after a while and a few ridiculous mistakes the atmosphere began to ease, and Adrien recalled for the millionth time why being with Marinette was so fantastic.

She made everything okay, she always did.

They spent the cooking time talking, trading jokes and discussing their true intentions for the seven dozen cookies they had prepared. There was about an hour that neither Tom nor Sabine could really say where the kids were, but somewhere off in Paris the superhero duo of Ladybug and Cat Noir swung and leapt through the city, knocking on windows and presenting pajama wearing children with a few cookies each. There were hundreds of photos taken of the two heroes waving from rooftops with Santa hats on their heads and in the end no one seemed to mind that the statues in the park were now bare, their hats stolen by the heroes themselves.

Seeing children stare at them with wide shining eyes as Cat Noir leaned in the window, passing them a few still warm cookies with a smile and a wink was one of the greatest feelings there was. Adrien was fairly certain one particularly avid fanboy was going to pass out when Ladybug handed him a treat, saying in her sweet voice that she hoped he was having a happy holiday.

As soon as they had shed the last of their load they sprinted for home, undoing their transformations and turning the corner just as Tom walked outside with a coat on, a worried frown on his face.

"There you two are!" he shouted, grimacing at them. "Why didn't you answer your phone?"

Adrien paled slightly but Marinette just smiled apologetically, dashing forward to hug her father. "I'm sorry! We were just walking around I didn't feel it go off!"

Adrien watched in anxious anticipation as Tom frowned a moment more, before letting his expression soften into a small smile.

"Well I figured you two were alright as long as you were together but your mother wants to open the rest of the gifts now."

"Yes papa!" Marinette exclaimed, looking over her shoulder at Adrien who still stood stock still in the snow, afraid that he would be scolded or worse sent home. "Let's go Adrien don't you want to see your presents?"

It took him a second to respond, adjusting to the fact that what he had thought would be real trouble blew over so quickly, before stammering out, "Uh yeah!"

"Come on then, up you go," Tom laughed, his frown utterly replaced with the man's usual joy as he ushered them inside. "Did you two see Cat Noir and Ladybug while you were out? According to the news they are running around and surprising children for Christmas isn't that great?"

Tom looked towards Adrien for an answer, and in response he just said, "U-uh yes! We saw them running over the rooftops they didn't stop to talk to us though. It's a shame, I'm a huge fan of Ladybug!"

Marinette snorted and tried to disguise the sound with a cough, shooting a glance over her shoulder that would have best accompanied a tongue stuck out mockingly. He just grinned at her.

The two kids darted out in front, running up the stairs to greet Marinette's mother who stood near the tree.

"Present time!" she called, having already sorted everything out into piles with Marinette's gifts sat next to an equally large pile of Adrien's. He did a double take when he saw them, feeling like he swallowed his tongue when he realized that her parents had actively made sure he had just as many gifts to open as their own daughter.

"I- I don't-"

"Merry Christmas, Adrien," Tom cut him off, smiling at him as he walked past the boy to his own pile, sitting down on the sofa and drawing them into his lap.

Marinette had to physically push Adrien down in front of his things before taking her own seat, leaning against him in what she hoped was a supportive manner. He seemed to appreciate it.

"Alright!" Sabine announced, gesturing towards her family as a whole (purposefully including Adrien) for them to start. "Hope you like them, Merry Christmas!"

Adrien was slow to move at first, shaking his head slightly to focus his mind before reaching out for his pile.

It was surreal and amazing and- and overwhelming. He had only know them for a week or so, but each gift had him in mind. Every time he opened something Tom and Sabine had some reason that they had picked it.

Another ornament, this time of a camera since he was a model.

A Gameboy advance themed cover for his phone since he loved video games.

A framed picture of him and Tom in their matching sweaters, having been wrapped and placed under the tree just that morning.

An old book about the history of the "Console Wars" between Playstation and Xbox from a friend of Tom's.

And-

He snickered at the cut pun on the tag of his last present, declaring a cheery 'Mari Christmas' that he very much appreciated.

"What is this?" Adrien said aloud, pulling something shapeless and green from a bag and flattening it out gently with his hand. When Marinette peeked over she giggled and looked away quickly, a soft pink dusting her cheeks.

"I-it isn't very good I made it very last minute the day before Christmas eve but- uh-"

"Is this LINK'S HAT!?" he demanded, recognizing the shape once he found the opening. It was incredibly simple, just a green bit of cloth cut in such a way that it could be worn exactly like the Hero of Hyrule. "Marinette did you make me Link's hat!?"

Her blush came on a bit stronger, looking over into his shining green eyes filled with joy before smiling happily. "Y-yeah I thought you would like it!"

"Like it!?" he shouted, pulling it onto his head in place of the Santa hat and bouncing on the cushion, "Like it!? Oh my god Mari!"

He started to laugh, and even to him the sound was completely unshackled of any negative emotion. There was no hesitation, no nervousness that he was being imperfect. He just laughed, in a warm and welcoming home on Christmas day.

When he laughed the sound was clear and light, making everyone in the room start to smile. It was impossible not to with a sound like that, impossible not to feel that same unhindered joy.

Here was a boy who grew up in a cold home, laughing like a boy who had never seen sadness.

And Marinette laughed too.

On each of their phones was a hundred unread messages, and downstairs was an unassuming bundled plant hanging on a doorframe that held the start of something else. Outside snow fell and people sang beneath shining lights all over the city, little kids running to their parents with cookies in their mouths spouting a fantastic story about two superheroes knocking on their window. And in a family bakery on the second floor was two smiling parents, and two laughing teens.

What would come after the holidays concluded neither of them had any idea, though they both had their hopes. They were still confused, still adjusting to the complete person who sat beside them but it was perfect. It was all…so perfect.

Because…that other person made everything okay.

They always did.


End file.
